Mekies after Australian GP: 'Max put in a fantastic performance'

Published on 08 March 2026 by Niels Hendrix

Laurent Mekies, CEO and team principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing, said after the Australian Grand Prix: “This has been a very important weekend for Formula 1, the first race of a new era for the sport and, after weeks of speculation, fans were treated to an enthralling contest this afternoon in Albert Park. With such a radical change to the technical regulations, some retirements were inevitable and it’s unfortunate that one of those was Isack, after he did so well to claim third place on the grid.”

Mekies added: “Looking at the positives, the remaining three Red Bull Ford Powertrains powered cars saw the chequered flag, two of them in the top ten. And in case anyone needs reminding of what an exceptional driver Max is, he put in a fantastic performance to go from 20th on the grid to sixth at the finish. We acquired a lot of data this weekend that we will put to good use in just a few days’ time in China. We will do this more than ever this season and this was certainly a development and learning race for us. We always know that we can count on everyone back in Milton Keynes to push very hard and take us to the next level.”