Mekies: Red Bull Mentality Sparked Verstappen 2025 F1 Comeback

Laurent Mekies has lifted the lid on what truly drove Max Verstappen's resurgence in the 2025 Formula 1 title fight. The Red Bull boss insists the team's refusal to give up was the key factor under immense pressure.

Mekies took over as team principal from Christian Horner in July 2025, just as Verstappen trailed the championship leader by over 100 points. At that time, McLaren was dominant, and the title battle looked like a two-horse race between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

But Verstappen refused to surrender. After the summer break, he pushed hard and dramatically closed the points gap. Although he ultimately lost to Norris by just two points, his fight became one of the season's most heroic stories.

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Speaking to RACER, Mekies admitted the year felt like a rollercoaster. "Joining last year, the first few weeks felt unreal. But there was a massive push to turn things around after a difficult start to the 2025 season," he said.

One crucial moment was when Pierre Wache and the team refused to accept the RB21's lack of performance. They kept bringing valuable upgrades rather than shifting focus to the 2026 regulations.

"They had every reason in the world to move on, with new regulations and a new engine coming. But nobody wanted to do that. Slowly but surely, they found a new sweet spot for the car, and together with some Max magic, it sparked the comeback," Mekies explained.

Falling short of a fifth consecutive title was painful, but the spirit shown by Verstappen and the team is a valuable asset heading into 2026.