Red Bull Team Principal, Laurent Mekies believes that the first half of the 2026 F1 season has been a “rollercoaster”.
A challenging first half of the season saw Red Bull manage just a single podium finish in the first seven rounds courtesy of Max Verstappen’s third-placed finish in the Canadian Grand Prix.
The Austrian constructor has subsequently claimed podium finishes in three of the last four Grands Prix with Verstappen – except for Silverstone where he spun out of a third-placed podium spot on lap 48, whilst Isack Hadjar has recorded seven consecutive top-seven finishes.
Following the Hungarian GP where Verstappen finished second, Mekies was reflective going into the summer break of the progress made and particularly since the Austrian GP, as he spoke of his hope that the rest period allows the team “to recharge” and become “even stronger.”
“The first half of the season has been something of a rollercoaster, but we’re clearly moving in the right direction thanks to the hard work and commitment of everyone back at the factory.
“Over the past 4 races, we’ve consistently been in the fight for podiums, and have managed to close the gap to our competitors significantly. Everyone in Milton Keynes is pushing very hard to take the next step towards fighting for wins, and we look forward to competing with our rivals in the second half of the season.”
Mekies also acknowledged their improved race pace in Hungary after struggling to deal with the car and ongoing upshift and downshift issues across the whole weekend, which saw McLaren’s Lando Norris claim his first Grand Prix win of the season.
“Hungary was a very strong race and a mega job from Max, Isack and the whole Team. We hadn’t shown that sort of pace earlier in the weekend, and both drivers had been battling with the car, but everyone here at track and back at the factory worked very hard. In the end, the underlying pace was certainly good enough to fight with everyone except for Lando.
“There were several key moments during the race, whether it was Max overtaking Lewis, strategy calls or pit stops, but everyone made all the right decisions.
“It was an incredibly strong performance from Max. Isack also delivered another very impressive race, securing his seventh consecutive top six finish. He continues to show remarkable consistency, and he fully deserves the results.”
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