Mekies after qualifying Canada: 'Much work still in front of us'

Published on 24 May 2026 by Niels Hendrix

Laurent Mekies, CEO and team principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing, said after the qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix: “Qualifying did not go particularly smoothly for us. We were very competitive in some parts of the session, but then we struggled a bit in others. We have seen this throughout the weekend and we do not believe it is down to one single factor.”

“However, we have learned a lot and this will allow us to continue our progression. Then if you look at the overall result, we are three tenths off pole and it’s fair to say it’s probably an accurate reflection of where we are right now, and we know how much work we still have in front of us to close the gap further.”

“Rain is forecast for Sunday and I think we can expect a chaotic race, considering that we have not yet run these cars in the wet. It could be a steep learning curve for everyone and extremely tricky for the 22 drivers out there, but also very entertaining for the fans.”