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Red Bull were Formula 1’s most successful team during the ground-effect era, but Laurent Mekies inherited an operation that was in a state of dysfunction.
Max Verstappen was very nearly unbeaten in the so-called ‘Venturi cars’, finishing just two points behind Lando Norris in last year’s standings after a sensational comeback.
Red Bull also dominated the 2022 and 2023 constructors’ championships before being dethroned by McLaren.
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But to an extent, Verstappen’s brilliance was covering up serious problems at Milton Keynes. His teammates have been responsible for just five of the team’s last 73 victories and 31 of their last 152 podiums.
Red Bull reviewing ongoing problems for Max Verstappen’s teammates, Laurent Mekies says
Red Bull haven’t had two drivers who can extract the car’s full potential since Verstappen partnered Daniel Ricciardo between 2016 and 2018. Ricciardo’s replacement, Pierre Gasly, was demoted after just half a season.
Alex Albon was next, but he was gone after his first full campaign. Sergio Perez came closest to filling the Ricciardo void, only to unravel in alarming fashion during the 2024 season.
Most embarrassingly of all for the team, Liam Lawson only lasted two races after succeeding Perez. Yuki Tsunoda, brought in for the remainder of the year, extended the cycle.
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Speaking to The Athletic, Mekies acknowledged that Red Bull must now look at themselves rather than pinning the blame on the drivers. A comprehensive review is underway.
“We are well aware that we didn’t do a good enough job in the second car in the last few years with Red Bull, and that includes the second part of the year last year,” Mekies, who is starting his first full year as team principal, said.
“It’s something we want to improve. It’s something we are reviewing, 360 degrees.”
Laurent Mekies explains why Isack Hadjar will find Red Bull move easier than Liam Lawson
With Tsunoda reassigned to a reserve role, Isack Hadjar is next to take on the dreaded challenge. Hadjar showed championship-winning potential as a rookie, most notably when he scored a podium at the Dutch GP, but his predecessors generated buzz before they arrived, too.
Still, Mekies says that Hadjar will benefit from the timing of his move. Even Verstappen will face a learning curve at the start of F1’s new era.
The boss said: “In many respects, coming into the year of a big reset, reset for the car balance, reset for what the driving style needs, reset for where the pocket of performance of the car is when it’s out there on track, I think it’s a very good opportunity for him.”
Hadjar admits it’s somewhat ‘scary’ facing Verstappen, while Lawson said he had no fear before making the move.
Perhaps Mekies will be more patient than Christian Horner if the Frenchman gets off to a poor start.
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