The great former Ferrari man is now leading Red Bull
The first weekend in Australia for Red Bull was a mixed bag, though considering the team’s debut as a new engine supplier, the glass is half full. Isack Hadjar was the fastest in qualifying behind the Mercedes cars, Max Verstappen climbed from the back of the grid to finish sixth, and Arvid Lindblad scored his first F1 points on debut with the Racing Bulls. Counterbalancing this positive outcome were Hadjar’s technical retirement in the race and Verstappen’s mysterious off-track excursion in qualifying.
Nonetheless, team principal Laurent Mekies is convinced that developments could drastically reshape the standings: “Mercedes has a big advantage, but through upgrades we can catch them,” Laurent Mekies said in an interview with the Italian daily newspaper Corriere dello Sport. “The season has just begun, and I also think it’s unnecessary to intervene on the balance between electric power and thermal power after only two races. That would be impulsive. At least 4-5 races are needed to make a more considered decision.”
Beyond Mercedes, Red Bull also has to chase a very strong Ferrari: “We beat them in qualifying, but they were faster in the race. They are clearly the second force. They have done a great job on the car and the power unit. A strong Ferrari is good news for our sport and a great motivation for us as we aim to catch them.”
Laurent Mekies’ pragmatic outlook highlights the shifting tides of the 2026 season, where reliability and software optimization are just as critical as raw horsepower. While the Red Bull powertrain has shown flashes of brilliance—particularly in Hadjar’s qualifying pace—the focus now shifts to bridging the race-trim deficit to Ferrari. With the Chinese Grand Prix presenting a unique set of challenges for energy harvesting, Red Bull’s ability to refine their “in-house” engine mapping will be under the microscope. As Laurent Mekies suggests, the true hierarchy of this new era won’t be set in stone until the European leg begins. For now, the mission is clear: keep developing, stay calm, and hunt down the scarlet cars from Maranello.
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