Laurent Mekies left ‘heavily irritated’ by FIA decision that hampered Red Bull at the Belgian Grand Prix

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Laurent Mekies was left unhappy with the FIA during the Belgian Grand Prix, which saw Max Verstappen sit behind Charles Leclerc for the majority of the race.

Oscar Piastri got the better of McLaren teammate Lando Norris to take his sixth win of the season and extend his championship lead to 16 points over the Brit.

Starting from fourth on the grid, Max Verstappen looked much more comfortable in the wet conditions than Charles Leclerc ahead of him. The four-time world champion was unable to make a move that stuck, however, and Leclerc was able to keep his Ferrari SF-25 ahead of him for the remainder of the race.

Mekies thanked Verstappen for his efforts at the end of the race, with both Red Bull men knowing that the result could have been much more if not for the FIA’s decision to delay the start of the race for over an hour.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links

The FIA’s decision to delay the start of the Belgian GP ‘negatively surprised’ Laurent Mekies and Red Bull

Speaking on behalf of Motorsport.com NL, journalist Ronald Vording highlighted the ire that the FIA caused in the Red Bull garage with their decision to delay the start of the Grand Prix by over an hour.

Talking about the other teams’ gratitude in the FIA prioritising safety in the lead up to the green flag, Vording said, “On the other end was Red Bull Racing, which isn’t very surprising, because they had a full wet setup and were heavily irritated that it took so long.”

Verstappen made his feelings about the conditions clear in a radio message to the team during the formation lap, but it meant very little due to the comments from the rest of the grid, in which visibility was a major issue.

“I also spoke afterwards with Helmut Marko and Laurent Mekies about it. And they, too, were negatively surprised by race control and how long it took.” Vording continued. “Marko literally said: ‘Yes, we had the wrong setup, but with the right race control, we would’ve had the right setup.’

“I don’t know if the FIA will be happy with that quote, but that was Marko’s view. Mekies had more or less the same opinion, but he worded it a bit more cautiously. He also comes from a background at the FIA, so he knows the other side of the coin.

“But he, too, said: ‘Yes, I’m actually quite negatively surprised that it took so long,’ and as a result, Red Bull couldn’t capitalise at all on the setup they had chosen. So for Red Bull, this was actually the worst-case scenario.”

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

Laurent Mekies got off to the best possible start at Red Bull in the Belgian GP Sprint

Despite Red Bull’s frustrations in Sunday’s Grand Prix, Verstappen stamping his authority over Oscar Piastri in Saturday’s Sprint race meant Mekies got off to the best possible start in his first race as team principal for the team.

The victory marked the team’s first in the Sprint format this season, a stark contrast to Verstappen’s four wins that came on a Saturday in 2024 and signifying that the team are heading in the right direction.

F1 fans are divided on the topic of Mekies’ instant impact at Red Bull, with many believing he has an easy job on his hands, whilst he has Verstappen at the helm in one of the seats.

However, it seems like the real impact that the Frenchman is having on the team comes from behind the scenes. Mekies is holding meetings at Red Bull that Christian Horner shunned, and is turning up early to the F1 paddock before sessions.

Carlos Sainz also noted the reason that makes Mekies a ‘perfect fit’ with Verstappen and Red Bull, highlighting his expertise in understanding driver feedback and the best way to utilise it.