Laurent Mekies admits 2025 comeback hurt Red Bull's 2026 F1 start

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has admitted that the Milton Keynes outfit's late-2025 performance boost cost it at the start of the 2026 season, but explained that it would do the same again.

After a difficult start to 2025, which saw McLaren push ahead in both the constructors' standings and the drivers' standings with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, Red Bull and four-time champion Max Verstappen made a strong comeback after the summer break. 

Ultimately, Red Bull finished the 2025 season third in the constructors' standings behind McLaren and Mercedes, and Verstappen finished second in the drivers' championship behind Norris.

During an interview with Sky Sports F1, Mekies explained that while the focus on improving the 2025 car came at a cost for 2026, he and the team had no regrets over the decision.

"What happened in the second part of last year is something we will keep with us and remember probably for a long time," he said. "It was such an unbelievable comeback, and the credit needs to go to the girls and the guys in Milton Keynes to have turned around that car. Nobody wanted to give up.

"Nobody wanted to give up. I would lie if I were telling you it's because we knew we could compete for the title. No, no, obviously nobody knew that, but nobody wanted to give up.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Clive Mason / Getty Images

"We pushed very, very late to get to the bottom of what was limiting last year's project because we felt it was important not only for last year but for the long-term future about methodologies, tools, etc., and because we just don't give up at Oracle Red Bull Racing. 

"So, does that have a cost on the starting point of the 2026 project? Yes, it's unavoidable. Would we do the same thing? Yes, we would do the same thing again if we had to do it. Does this explain all of our difficulties today? No, it would be using that as an excuse, and nobody is looking for an excuse here.

"But it's a combination of things, and you will walk around the campus and you will find the same fire as what you have seen last year, in the second part of the year, where people know that they have complex issues to sort out for our car to be competitive again. But there is no greater motivation than to think, 'Let's do it again.'"