LONDON — Laurent Mekies says Red Bull Racing's first win of the 2026 Formula 1 season is the culmination of the squad's gradual upturn in form, but believes it is too early to tell if the team can now fight for victories everywhere, admitting "It's difficult to be on par with Mercedes consistently".
Red Bull have chipped away at a significant deficit since the start of the campaign, when they were over a second behind the frontrunners. Mekies pointed to a relentless stream of upgrades as the driver of that recovery, with the team's latest package helping to close the gap to the front of the field.
While the breakthrough victory rewards that development push, Mekies cautioned against assuming Red Bull are now in the mix at every circuit. Mercedes have set the consistent benchmark this season and Red Bull still face the challenge of matching that level week to week.
The upturn leaves Red Bull better placed for the remainder of the campaign after a difficult opening phase, with the squad having avoided a first winless year since 2015 following Verstappen's 72nd win at Sepang a 'very special moment' for Red Bull.