Red Bull dismisses Verstappen motivation fears after ‘super frustrating’ Australian GP
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen scratches his head during Bahrain testing
Laurent Mekies has dismissed fears Max Verstappen could lose motivation in Formula 1, even after the Dutchman described the Australian Grand Prix as ‘super frustrating’ and confirmed plans to race in the Nürburgring 24 Hours.
The F1 2026 championship began in Melbourne last week with Verstappen having already voiced his frustration over the “anti-racing” new cars with their 50/50 split in electrical and combustion power.
aurent Mekies responds to Max Verstappen motivation concerns
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The four-time World Champion didn’t shy away from giving his opinion during pre-season testing, nor in Melbourne.
Standing by his opinion that he was “not having fun” in the new cars, the Dutch racer said: “I think it’s better for the sport, because I do care about it. I do love racing, and I want it to be better than this, right?
“So let’s see what we can do. I hope that, even during this year, maybe we can come up with some different solutions so it becomes more enjoyable.”
That he added that he “loves racing, but you can only take so much,” raised eyebrows given that the driver had said a month earlier that it “needs to be fun to drive as well, I think, at this stage of my career. I mean, I am, of course, also exploring other things outside of Formula 1 to have fun at.”
Two days after Melbourne, Verstappen confirmed his much-anticipated participation in the Nürburgring 24-hour race.
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That raises the question: is Red Bull concerned that its star driver could lose motivation in Formula 1?
Mekies delivered an emphatic response to that.
The team principal told PlanetF1.com and other accredited media: “No, no.
“When he’s with us, as far as the relationship with the team is concerned, there is absolutely no difference compared to last year in terms of how hard he’s pushing on every single detail and how precise he is in his feedback on every single thing.
“So, he’s able to put his personal preferences on the side when he debriefs with us and when we are chasing the performance together.”
Quizzed on whether Verstappen might eventually change his mind about the new generation of cars, Mekies reckons opinions, including Verstappen’s, could shift after Formula 1 has visited a few tracks.
“I think Max cares about the sport and he’s giving us a lot of input on what he thinks could be improvements,” said the team boss.
“We are listening. As a sport, we are talking between the teams and between the FIA and F1 to see what the way forward is.
“Obviously, here [Albert Park] is one of the most difficult tracks. It will be interesting to see after China how much of a difference it makes to go on a track that is a bit less energy hungry. And then, if there are improvements to make, I’m sure as a sport we will find a way to make them.”
Additional reporting by Mat Coch
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