Laurent Mekies highlighted persistent race start difficulties as a key area requiring resolution for Red Bull following the United States Grand Prix, where both Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar lost track position at the launch.
Race Start Deficit Remains a Challenge
In interviews reported by formula1.com, Mekies noted that both Verstappen and teammate Hadjar, who finished in sixth place, suffered from poor launches off the line due to sub-optimal battery deployment. While acknowledging that the team has made progress compared to the start of the season, Mekies pointed out that Red Bull has not yet set the standard in this area.
Mekies explained that as the car has improved and moved closer to the front of the grid, the disadvantage at the start has become more damaging due to intense competition. “As much as we have reduced the gap to competition, and you may remember how bad our starts were at the beginning of the year, we are still not the benchmark,” he said.
Long-Term Solutions Slated for Next Year
Although Mekies expressed confidence that Red Bull will continue gathering data and closing the performance gap in small increments across the remaining races of the year, he emphasized that a total solution will take time. Achieving top-tier performance at lights out will require fundamental hardware and design overhauls that cannot be implemented until next season.
Mekies also praised the ongoing work behind the scenes to support the team’s drivers, highlighting the role of race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase in building and strengthening working relationships alongside Verstappen as the team works through its technical adjustments.
