Below Laurent Mekies, who took over mid-season after Christian Horner’s dismissal, the Pink Bull Formulation 1 staff got here near finishing a outstanding comeback.
A major a part of that turnaround may be defined by the staff lastly managing to extract efficiency from the RB21, partially by persevering with to develop the automotive longer than many rivals.
One other key issue has been the consistency of the person behind the wheel: Max Verstappen. The four-time world champion says he delivered the very best season of his F1 profession to date, and stood on the rostrum at each race weekend after the summer season break.
“Everyone knows Max, however he nonetheless blows you away”
In an end-of-year interview with chosen media, together with Motorsport.com, Mekies defined that Verstappen has impressed him much more than he anticipated earlier than becoming a member of the Milton Keynes-based squad.
“As a lot as we now have spent, all of us, too a few years in Formulation 1 and have seen Max getting unbelievable achievements, all I can inform you is that whenever you get the possibility to work on his aspect of the paddock, you continue to get blown away,” stated the Frenchman.
In response to Mekies, that’s much more associated to what Verstappen does outdoors the automotive as a substitute of in it. “Clearly you guys hear a number of what is claimed over the radio, however you do not hear the whole lot,” he stated. “So the standard of his technical suggestions and the extent of sensitivity that he has within the automotive [is very impressive].”
Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing, Laurent Mekies, Pink Bull Racing Staff Principal
Photograph by: Mark Thompson / Getty Pictures
“We used to have this joke contained in the staff the place we might simply say that he is the very best sensor we now have within the automotive. Arguably additionally the most costly, however that is one other query!,” Mekies laughed. And certainly, the final half is right as nicely, as in keeping with Forbes Verstappen was as soon as once more the highest-paid F1 driver in 2025.
“He lives motorsport day and night time”
In addition to the technical understanding and suggestions to the staff, Mekies is equally impressed by Verstappen’s dedication to the business.
“The man lives motorsport day and night time, actually day and night time,” stated the Pink Bull boss. “Most likely greater than any of us, he’s motorsport in some respect.
“He isn’t escaping from any conferences to go and do one thing else, however he is utterly merging it. Between the races he is doing his sim racing, most likely with someplace in his thoughts the issues that he can nonetheless be taught or enhance on his driving, or the preparations for the subsequent race.
“If he has a free weekend, he goes racing someplace else with GT3 vehicles. That is one thing that appears utterly unreal from our aspect, or as a matter of reality, is unreal.”
The 48-year-old emphasised that he has seen Verstappen’s involvement probably the most when the staff was going by a troublesome interval halfway by the 2025 marketing campaign.
“He does that with the capability to completely immerse himself within the challenge, to not decide it from outdoors,” he stated. “However looking for the correct keys to ensure that all of us push in the identical path, and to ensure that all of us recognize what he is attempting to inform us with the communications.”
Learn Additionally:
We would like your opinion!
What would you wish to see on Motorsport.com?
– The Motorsport.com Staff
