Mekies after victory Max in Malaysia: 'Managed the conditions brilliantly'

Published on 04 October 2026 by Niels Hendrix

Laurent Mekies, CEO and team principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing, said after the victory of Max Verstappen at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia: “This is another milestone moment in the history of this team: the first victory for us as a power unit manufacturer with Red Bull Ford Powertrains in its very first season! The credit goes to all the people involved who have been working incredibly hard on this project over the past five years. Everyone in Milton Keynes and at the track deserves this moment and should celebrate it as an important step towards many more victories in the future.”

Mekies added: “The first win of the season is a great way to finish what has been an extremely successful weekend overall. After showing strong pace in every session and securing our first pole position of the season yesterday, Max converted that performance into an outstanding P1 today. In often chaotic circumstances, he remained in control throughout the race, managed the conditions brilliantly, showed the strongest pace and delivered exactly the kind of performance we know he is capable of.”

“More broadly, this result confirms the progress we have been making in recent months. We were already close several times, and today we converted that pace. The team has been working tirelessly to improve our package, and weekends like this are the reward for that effort. For tonight, everyone should enjoy a well-deserved victory and an important milestone for this team.”