Max Verstappen decision explained as Laurent Mekies reveals key Red Bull factor

Laurent Mekies said Max Verstappen’s decision to stay at Red Bull was because of the work of 2,000 people behind the scenes.

Red Bull’s drop in performance, coupled with Verstappen’s unhappiness with the current regulations, had plenty predicting that he could leave for another team, or quit the sport entirely.

Verstappen extension explained by Red Bull boss

He put an end to those rumours in the build-up to the Dutch Grand Prix, announcing he would not only continue with Red Bull next season, but that he had signed on for a further two seasons until 2030.

Verstappen’s existing deal was until 2028, but a well-publicised exit clause meant he could have decided after the Hungarian Grand Prix to leave the team.

That clause was based on Verstappen’s position in the Drivers’ standings, with the driver permitted to end his stay if he was outside of the top two as Formula 1 entered its summer break after Hungary.

But despite being sixth in the standings, and still chasing a first Grand Prix win for F1 2026, Verstappen affirmed his commitment to Red Bull.

Team principal Mekies has said it has brought “massive stability” to Red Bull.

“It’s massively important,” he said of Verstappen’s extension. “You know the good guys, and in the end of the day, you are only interested in the good guys and girls.

“The good guys, they have the choice and I’m talking about our people, and I’m talking about the people in other teams. They have the choice because they are very, very good at what they do. They have the choice.

“And as much as Max had to choose which team to commit to, they have the choice to commit left or right and we are all united by only one thing: we want to win.

“And when you’re able to say that the fastest driver in the world is with us, it’s a massive stability element. It’s a massive ambition element.

“Then everybody understands that everything else that you are being that you are set up is only with that single objective history. So it’s a very big element.

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“We must not use that as an excuse. So it’s a very big plus. We need to work on everything else to make sure that we keep developing and attracting all the talents.”

Mekies was asked by PlanetF1.com if this was the defining moment of his Red Bull tenure but suggested it was not his personal achievement and made note to highlight the unknown names of those working at the factory.

“Honestly, nothing to do with leadership moments or whatsoever,” he said.

“It’s a teamwork. It’s a huge teamwork. It’s 2,000 people working, and it’s about trying to lay down the facts that will convince Max that we are able to produce the best package in the future, and that his inputs are well used in order for us to produce that best package.

“That’s what the group is working day and night on, too. We are we are not going to change our approach. We are still going to be extremely brutally honest with each other.

“So we are still going to complain when the car is not fast enough. We are still going to express frustrations when we feel we could have extracted more, or when we feel we are not progressing fast enough.

“That’s what drives us out of the bed every day, and we aren’t going to change that. But it’s something that fires every single person in Milton Keynes. It’s something that fires Max every day, and that’s what you like as well.”

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

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