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Max Verstappen’s shot at 5th F1 title to blame for Red Bull disaster
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies addressed concerns about whether last year’s title push with Max Verstappen has impacted their performance this season. Verstappen was not initially a contender for the 2025 F1 championship, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris dominating. Despite a late surge, Verstappen fell short of winning the title by just two points to Norris. Red Bull underwent significant changes in 2025, with Mekies taking over as team principal after Christian Horner’s departure. While the team faced a rough start in 2026, Mekies remains optimistic about Red Bull’s ability to bounce back from the challenges they are currently facing. He acknowledges that focusing on 2025 may have affected their start in 2026, but he believes in the team’s ability to overcome these difficulties and perform well this season.
