Red Bull Milestone: Laurent Mekies Hails “Historic Victory”

Laurent Mekies did not hide his satisfaction after Max Verstappen's victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. The Red Bull director described the triumph as a "historic moment" for the team since it represents the team's first victory as a power unit manufacturer in association with Ford, a milestone that crowns years of work and that confirms Red Bull's progress in its first season without Honda.

"This is another historic moment in the history of this team: the first victory for us as a power unit manufacturer with Red Bull Ford Powertrains in its first season, the credit goes to all the people involved who have been working incredibly hard on this project for the last five years. Everyone in Milton Keynes and at the track deserves this moment and should celebrate it as an important step towards many more victories in the future" Mekies declared.

Verstappen's victory was not simple. The Dutchman, who had achieved pole position on Saturday, lost positions in the first laps to the Mercedes. However he knew how to manage the changing conditions of the race and with a combination of superior pace and impeccable strategy, he came back to the first position to seal his first triumph of the season: "In often chaotic circumstances, he kept control throughout the race, managed the conditions brilliantly, showed the strongest pace and delivered exactly the kind of performance we know he is capable of" Mekies stated.

The Red Bull director also highlighted the team's progress throughout the season: "This result confirms the progress we have been making in the last months, we were already close several times and today we converted that pace. The team has been working tirelessly to improve our package and weekends like this are the reward for that effort" he added. The victory in Sepang represents a boost for Red Bull which had started the season far behind Mercedes and which has been closing the gap thanks to the updates introduced in the last races.

The other side of the garage left a bittersweet taste Isack Hadjar, who had come back from eighth position to get into the fight for the podium, saw how a battery problem relegated him to fifth position: "There are mixed feelings on the other side of the garage because Isack also showed a very strong pace all weekend, we could have closed this weekend with another double podium; unfortunately not everything went well with his car. Finishing fifth is still a solid result considering where he started but naturally it is frustrating when you know more was possible" Mekies explained.

The Austrian team will analyze what happened with Hadjar's car and will focus immediately on the next event in Singapore: "Everyone should enjoy a deserved victory and an important milestone for this team" Mekies concluded. Red Bull leaves Malaysia with morale through the roof and the certainty that the work done is bearing fruit, Verstappen's victory not only breaks the drought of triumphs, but confirms that the RB22 and the Red Bull Ford power unit are on the right path to compete at the highest level in what remains of the season and in 2027.