Laurent Mekies said he was not surprised to see Red Bull lagging behind Ferrari and Mercedes in Australia, attributing the gap to “games” played during pre-season testing.
Red Bull opened the season with a sixth-place finish in Melbourne, as Max Verstappen recovered from 20th on the grid to secure the position.
Mekies suggested that the pre-season testing obscured the true pace of Ferrari and Mercedes, making Red Bull’s deficit less shocking once the season got underway.
Laurent Mekies said he wasn’t surprised to see Red Bull off the pace of Ferrari and Mercedes in Australia, pointing to “games played” during pre-season testing that masked the true performance of the top teams.
Red Bull endured a tricky weekend in Melbourne. Max Verstappen’s early exit in Q1—after a strange incident at Turn 1 where the rear axle appeared to lock under braking—forced him into a recovery drive from 20th on the grid, while rookie Isack Hadjar initially provided the team’s best chance at a podium, qualifying third before a technical issue ended his race. Verstappen ultimately recovered to sixth, closing in on McLaren’s Lando Norris but unable to pass.
Mekies said the weekend largely confirmed pre-season predictions that Red Bull and McLaren would be a step behind Ferrari and Mercedes.
“We did predict that we would be fourth of teams coming out of the pre-season testing,” Mekies told media, including PlanetF1.com. “As it turned out, I think it’s pretty accurate. It was probably a touch better than that this weekend, in the way that Isack was P3 on the grid on a clean qualifying. So he’s done a very good job there to maximise everything.
In the race, we probably have to say that we were at least on the pace with McLaren, but certainly not able to fight with Ferrari or Mercedes. So it’s something that we are aware of. We have the ambition and the duty to build the path to go and get these guys. It will take a bit of time. But no, it was not a surprise.”
Mekies added that Red Bull’s deficit to Mercedes at the Australian GP was roughly a second per lap but cautioned that it’s too early to draw conclusions about the wider season. He also noted that the team’s investigation into Verstappen’s Q1 incident showed a combination of factors, prompting a cautious approach for the race and further work before the Chinese Grand Prix.
The weekend also marked a milestone as Red Bull Powertrains (RBPT) made its debut as an autonomous manufacturer. Mekies praised the team’s performance:
“The dominant feeling is that we have confirmed that we are in the fight. We are very proud of everyone in Milton Keynes for the work done in the last three years, for the work done coming to this season, to be able to be in the fight straight away from race one. I think it’s a huge achievement.
We have the ambition and the obligations to do better, yes, but the starting point is that we were fighting here. We think we’ll be fighting in China, and then we’ll start the development race, we’ll start the learning race.”
Mekies stressed that while Red Bull is currently competing in the top four, the team’s focus will be on developing faster than their rivals as the season progresses.
F1 continues this weekend with the Chinese Grand Prix.