Laurent Mekies says Max Verstappen drives the team

Red Bull squad brag Laurent Mekies precocious revealed what impressed him the astir astir Max Verstappen since moving with him. The Frenchman, who moved from Racing Bulls to Red Bull successful July to regenerate Christian Horner, had the accidental to enactment intimately with the four-time satellite champion for the archetypal time, whom helium had antecedently followed from a region during his spells astatine Ferrari, FIA and Racing Bulls.

Outstanding dedication and enactment ethic

What impressed Mekies the astir was not lone Verstappen's quality successful the car, but besides his dedication down the scenes. "Everybody knows what helium does successful the car and however singular it is - however susceptible helium is of being adjacent to the limit, thigh aft lap, contention aft race, twelvemonth aft year," Mekies said connected the Securing the Win podcast. 

"We cognize helium sets the modular there. I deliberation the biggest astonishment was discovering him extracurricular the car – and he's conscionable as, if not more, bonzer extracurricular the car than successful the car."

"His level of dedication, heavy knowing of the complexities of the squad trying to get him the fastest imaginable car and the mode helium guides that squad towards the close solutions for the car is incredible. He lives for the challenge."

"You tin telephone him anytime - he'll beryllium successful the simulator training. And if he's not successful the simulator, he's racing different car determination successful Europe. That tells you however aggravated helium is arsenic a person."

Verstappen, who is again a contender for the 2025 rubric aft winning 3 of the past 4 races, has been instrumental successful Red Bull's turnaround successful form. The squad from Milton Keynes has changed the tuning doctrine to suit the drivers amended and introduced a revised level and beforehand helping design.

Verstappen's precision successful communication

Mekies besides emphasizes Verstappen's precision successful communication. 

"He has this earthy knowing of the immense fig of radical who enactment connected the show of the car and knows that helium has to take the close words with each of them to assistance them springiness their best," helium said. "That's what helium does each day. Sometimes I deliberation it's precise casual to underestimate however cardinal Max is to the team. It's not a team... and Max. He's wholly woven into the team. He's starring the improvement of the car, he's managing what we're doing for the adjacent year. That's however choky that transportation is. And I deliberation that's a huge, immense vantage for us."