Laurent Mekies is now starting to make a predictable excuse for Red Bull’s problems in 2026

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Laurent Mekies has started pointing towards Red Bull’s 2025 title fight and development shift for their problems in the 2026 season.

The Milton Keynes outfit have started the new era of Formula 1 poorly, with just 16 points scored from three race weekends. Red Bull are sixth in the constructors’ championship behind Haas and Alpine.

Issues with the chassis and the car being overweight have left Red Bull chasing the pack in 2026, with Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar struggling for results. The pressure is now starting to pile on team principal Mekies.

Following multiple key departures behind the scenes over the past few months, the Frenchman is up against it to steady the ship. Guenther Steiner says Mekies needs years to fix Red Bull, and for him, the problems have spiralled from 2025.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Red Bull team principal and CEO Laurent Mekies

Laurent Mekies is starting to blame Red Bull’s 2025 title fight on 2026 shortcomings

Verstappen looked out of the championship fight during the summer break, with McLaren establishing a clear advantage. Christian Horner wanted to stop development in 2025 and focus on the new regulations in 2026.

However, Mekies continued to develop the RB21 and gave Verstappen a fighting chance to win the title. He would miss out by just two points to Lando Norris, and Red Bull are now feeling the effects of the decision.

Mekies says Red Bull are ‘paying the price’ for their gamble in 2025, and journalist Laurence Barretto says the team principal is starting to use that as an excuse for their shortcomings in 2026.

He said via F1’s official YouTube channel: “I think Japan was a good juxtaposition of where he was this time last year, had that mega win, great drive, I think was his fourth Japanese Grand Prix win in a row.

“Fast forward to now, where I think he would have had an acceptance that their push for the championship fight, which allowed him to fight for the title until the final race of the season, would have some sort of impact.

“I don’t think he or the team envisaged it would have the impact that it’s had to the point where we’re talking about Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren as the sharp end teams.

“Nor do I think he believed that they would get hauled into the midfield because I kind of feel like they’re a midfield team at the minute in terms of where they’re operating.

“It was interesting that Laurent Mekies, the team boss, in Japan, was starting to use that decision to push resources as a reason for why maybe that car is slightly underdeveloped, why they’re perhaps not in the spot that they would have hope to have been at this point.

“But I think for Max, the performance is one thing. He clearly isn’t enjoying driving these cars. Would it be a different scenario if that car was winning and he was winning races? Who knows. We’ll never know the true answer to that. But I think for Max, it’s a multitude of uh frustrations.”

It seems almost inevitable that Mekies would begin to pin the blame on development in 2025 for the problems the team are facing this year. It is now up to the Frenchman to find solutions, with Red Bull falling apart behind the scenes.