The Austrian team boss acknowledged that the team was not up to standard. Verstappen crashed in the early laps, while Lawson was seventh in his return.
Laurent Mekies, Red Bull team principal, has acknowledged that the Dutch Grand Prix was a very difficult weekend for the Austrian team, with Max Verstappen suffering a crash in the early laps and Liam Lawson finishing seventh in his return: "A difficult weekend here at Zandvoort. First, I think the most important thing is that Max is okay. It was a big accident and we're all glad to see he walked away from the car, that's what matters most today" declared Mekies.
Verstappen and Lawson had started seventh and eighth respectively, but the Dutchman lost control of his car at turn 14 and hit the wall, causing a red flag: "In terms of performance, I think there's no hiding place. It was a very difficult weekend. It seems we have taken a step back compared to where we were before the summer break" explained Mekies.
The Red Bull boss acknowledged that the team could not fight with the three leading teams: "Of course, we will never know what the car's real race pace would have been with Max, but it's fair to say that session after session it seemed more difficult than in Budapest, Spa or Austria. So hard work for us to regroup and see if it's simply that the competition has done a better job than us updating the car, or if something has limited us more than it should" he added.
Mekies praised Lawson's performance, who replaced the injured Isack Hadjar: "He has done a good job getting into the car. It's never easy to get into a different team, into a different car for a race like this. Only a tenth off Max yesterday in qualifying, and today he took the points that were within his reach in terms of pace with seventh place" he declared.
The Red Bull boss also referred to Hadjar's presence in the paddock: "We also had Isack with us this weekend, although he couldn't drive. He was with the team trying to learn and making sure we can all push together as hard as possible next week in Monza" he explained.
Verstappen's crash was a hard blow for Red Bull in the Dutchman's home race. The Austrian team needs to recover lost ground if it wants to fight for the championship. The second half of the season will be crucial for Red Bull, and the team needs to improve the RB22's performance.
Lawson's performance was positive, showing he can quickly adapt to a new car and score points. The New Zealander has taken advantage of his opportunity and has proven his worth. His future at Red Bull is uncertain, but his performance at Zandvoort has improved his chances.
The challenge for Red Bull is enormous, the team needs to understand whether their lack of pace at Zandvoort was a circuit specific issue or a symptom of a deeper problem. The answer will determine whether they can recover lost ground in the upcoming races or if the season definitively slips away from them.
Mekies trusts that the team can take a step forward at Monza: "That will be for us the next two weeks before fighting again in Monza all together" he concluded.
