Mekies Confirms Inbound Interest as Red Bull Targets Performance Gains
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has confirmed that the team is receiving inquiries from "good drivers" regarding future seats, even as the organization remains focused on retaining Max Verstappen. While Verstappen is under contract through 2028, performance-related clauses in his deal have fueled ongoing speculation about his future, with an October deadline looming for the driver to signal any potential exit.
Mekies characterized the current driver market activity as a standard, bidirectional process. "It's completely natural Max gets called from everyone because he's the best driver in the world and, equally, if you are a top team, you are going to get calls from many of these good drivers around as well," Mekies stated. Despite reports of contact between Verstappen’s representatives and other teams, Mekies maintains that the team's primary objective is to improve the car's pace to satisfy their lead driver.
Closing the Performance Gap
Red Bull has been working to recover from a difficult start to the season, where they initially trailed the field by over a second. Following significant upgrades to the RB22 at the Austrian Grand Prix, the team has seen a return to podium contention. Mekies emphasized that the team is now focused on finding the final "two or three tenths" required to challenge for race wins consistently.
The team is also managing a period of internal transition, noting that while key personnel changes are occurring—including the future departure of race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase—the focus remains on the collective effort to optimize the chassis. The team currently views the pairing of Verstappen and Isack Hadjar as their ideal lineup for the future.
What to Watch Next
As the Formula 1 season heads into the Hungarian Grand Prix, the focus remains on whether Red Bull can sustain its recent upward trajectory. With the summer break approaching, the team is under pressure to prove its competitive potential to both its drivers and the grid. Fans can follow the progression of these developments throughout the weekend, with all sessions live on Sky Sports F1.
Quinn Santos
Quinn Santos is a former orchestral cellist turned automotive engineer who has spent a decade dissecting the high-speed choreography of Formula 1. Writing on race strategy, power-unit regulations and the economics of hosting a grand prix, Quinn covers motorsport for TaxiSports from Kuala Lumpur.
