Laurent Mekies after qualifying in Brazil: 'Tomorrow will be a challenging race'

Published on 07 November 2026 by Coen Versteeg

Laurent Mekies, team principal and CEO of Oracle Red Bull Racing, said after qualifying for the São Paulo Grand Prix: “It’s been a busy day here in São Paulo, with plenty of work going on behind the scenes. The team made a number of changes overnight, and Max’s performance in FP3 was an encouraging indication of the progress we had made. With the power unit change and the resulting grid penalty, we knew qualifying would require a different approach for Max, particularly in the wet conditions. The focus was on learning as much as possible about the car while avoiding unnecessary risks in those tricky conditions.”

He continues: “Isack secured P5 on the grid after the various penalties were applied, which gives him a solid starting position for tomorrow, although we know he was hoping for a little more after a very strong Q2. There is still work to do, but we now have a clearer understanding of where we stand and where we need to improve.”

“Tomorrow will be a challenging race, particularly for Max starting from the back, but we know how unpredictable racing in Brazil can be. We will stay focused on ourselves, make the most of every opportunity and give both Max and Isack the best possible chance to move forward.”