Laurent Mekies Explains How Max Verstappen Outperformed Red Bull Simulations in Brazil

Verstappen Defies the Odds with Spectacular Interlagos Charge

The Sao Paulo Grand Prix delivered an exceptional outcome for Red Bull Racing as Max Verstappen produced a masterclass drive through the field, fighting from 21st on the grid to claim second place. Verstappen’s charge came despite his own pre-weekend warnings that overtaking would prove difficult with the 2026 regulations at Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace. Overcoming setup frustrations and balance limitations in his RB22, the Dutchman mounted an unrelenting recovery drive that left team management astonished by the sheer scale of the turnaround.

Red Bull Racing Team Principal Laurent Mekies confirmed that Verstappen’s rapid ascent had shattered the team’s internal expectations and computerized models prior to the race. Addressing the astonishing display, Mekies reflected on the driver’s ability to consistently exceed analytical forecasts:

“As always, I think no sim in the world would predict that you go from P21 to P2, or that you get 14 places in five laps. There is no sim being able to do that. So he’s beating the sim on a regular basis!”

Power Unit Penalties and the Fight Against McLaren’s Pace

The necessity for Verstappen’s recovery drive arose after an unplanned technical issue forced Red Bull to take engine penalties, relegating the Dutchman to the rear of the grid. While the squad had displayed encouraging form during early track sessions, the penalty proved unavoidable in the opening year of the new power unit rules.

“Of course it’s frustrating, because the pace seemed good on Friday and also on Saturday morning, and in some respects in Q1 when we let him qualify. But it’s part of the game. It’s easy to forget, it’s the first year with the power unit, and the guys have been doing an extraordinary job. And we take the first penalty with Max this weekend, and that’s what it is. It was not planned. We had a small issue on Friday that forced us to do so.”

Despite the heroic drive to second, Mekies candidly conceded that victory was far from guaranteed, even if Verstappen had started from the front row alongside eventual winner Lando Norris. The Frenchman noted that McLaren’s recent development package appeared to give them the upper hand in outright pace throughout the Brazilian showcase:

“Well done to Lando and to McLaren. I think they were generally a bit faster than us in the race. I also think that even if you start P2, say, I think on pace Lando was anyway a bit a bit faster than us. So of course it’s a different story if you start P2, because you have all the first opening laps risk taking, on which Max is unbelievable. But I think they were a bit faster than us.”

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Verstappen’s charge was further complicated by tire behavior and setup issues as changing weather patterns shook up the race strategy. Mekies emphasized that Red Bull must evaluate whether those handling troubles masked their real comparative performance against McLaren:

“Is it degradation? Is it pure pace? Obviously, they brought another fair bit of upgrade this weekend again. Or is it something else? Because you may have heard Max being fairly vocal with the car balance once we had switched to dry tyres, and from that point onward, he has been very, very unhappy with car balance, including when we came back to the inters at the very end. So we need to analyse what happened there, how much of that is time loss, and whether or not that would have been enough to fight with McLaren.”

Team Synergy: Hadjar Anchors Double Podium

Red Bull’s banner day in Sao Paulo was reinforced by rookie Isack Hadjar, who collected a well-deserved third place. During the race, Hadjar worked collaboratively with the pit wall by releasing Verstappen to pursue Norris. While Red Bull contemplated reversing the positions later in the Grand Prix, evolving weather conditions and fluctuating gaps altered the dynamic.

“I think we would have done it if the cars had stayed close together. We would have done it, because Isack had a very strong pace and he stayed with Max, as you have seen after the swap. But then, as the race panned out and the rain came again, the cars were very, very distant, and it would not have made sense. Plus, increased rain intensity at the end, it would not have made any sense. But I have to say, Max and Isack worked very, very strongly together to give us that result.”

Hadjar’s resilient weekend earned effusive praise from Mekies, who highlighted the youngster’s development after battling balance concerns earlier in the event and validating his future with the team:

“I think ultimately, if you ask me right now, I think it’s the best race he has done with us in terms of pure pace, and that’s what we look at. Pure pace on the dries, on the inters, super difficult conditions, in how clever he has been racing. He has done a lot of very strong racing this year, but I think he has raised the bar another time. So that’s what we want to keep seeing. That’s what we said we were most impressed by when we took the decisions to confirm him for ’27, the way he keeps raising the bar, and we were simply hoping to provide him with the environment for him to keep doing that. I think he has done that today in terms of the race, and in the context where he has been building through the weekend.”

Why This Matters

The intense battle in Brazil reflects a rapidly tightening field across the Formula 1 grid. Just one week after Ferrari secured pole and battled at the front, McLaren’s triumph and Red Bull’s double podium underscored an ultra-competitive environment among the top four outfits under the 2026 regulations. The tight margins place heightened emphasis on operational perfection, in-season upgrades, and flawless weekend execution.

“The convergence is probably happening earlier than what we all thought. I’m guessing somehow it’s perhaps an indication of fairly restrictive regulations. That being said, you see cars with visibly different concepts, and you see four top teams fighting, which is probably a great point to be for the sport. So, let’s see how it will pan out in the second year. But it’s fair to say that having to be already in the second part of ’26 in the situation where you turn up at the race weekend, and you don’t know which one of the four top teams is going to win the race, I think it’s great for the sport. And yes, we get now top five in Qualifying separated by two-tenths, and it’s a strong combination of development race and absolute perfect execution if you want to win on Sunday.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Max Verstappen start from 21st on the grid?

Verstappen was relegated to the back of the grid after Red Bull was forced to take an unplanned power unit penalty following a technical issue discovered on Friday at Interlagos.

Why didn’t Red Bull swap Isack Hadjar back ahead of Verstappen?

Although Red Bull considered returning the position to Hadjar after he let Verstappen through, the gap between the two cars grew too large as rain returned and intensified in the closing stages, making a position swap unfeasible and impractical.

Who won the Sao Paulo Grand Prix?

Lando Norris won the race for McLaren, demonstrating strong pace on both dry and intermediate tires to hold off the hard-charging Red Bulls.