Verstappen ended months of speculation ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix by confirming he will remain at Red Bull for the 2026 season.
Though his long-term contract already runs through to the end of 2028, uncertainty had grown amid a turbulent year for the team, including the sacking of Christian Horner and Mekies’ subsequent appointment ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix.
“I don’t think there was a real doubt as far as the team is concerned,” Mekies told Sky Sports F1. “Max has been saying it over and over again and we know what he wants. He wants a fast car.
“Now the fact he is a bit louder this time is I guess good for everyone to hear. But as far as we are concerned he has always been part and [is] central to the team.”
Mekies said Verstappen’s experience remains a vital asset as Red Bull works through a difficult Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, where both drivers have struggled with grip and car balance.
“It is essential, I have to say,” he added. “So it’s a huge advantage because he knows when the car has been working. He knows when the car has not been working.
“And situations like that where it’s not so much a balance issue, like it’s really like we are struggling to find the level of grip we should be having here.
“And he’s certainly having a huge help in these situations.”
While Verstappen’s place is secure, the second seat alongside him for 2025 remains undecided.
Mekies said the focus remains squarely on supporting Yuki Tsunoda and helping the Japanese driver rediscover the form that earned him consideration for a promotion.
“You know the priorities is to give Yuki what he needs to perform,” he said. “That’s where, with regards to the second seat, that’s where the priority is. It’s what the team is concentrated on.
“They have been trying that for a number of races now. We are trying to find ways together to make a further step.
“Spa was very positive, certainly from that perspective. Here it’s a bit of a tricky weekend overall, so it’s probably a bit more difficult to judge.
“But you know, there is no reason why Yuki’s performance cannot be what we have seen in the past, and that’s what we are concentrating on right now.”
Tsunoda ran an upgraded floor last weekend in Belgium, something Mekies said was not his personal call but reflected a broader team effort to restore his confidence.
“It’s a team decision,” he said.
“All the team is trying to give Yuki the right confidence and the right tools and he is working very well with his group and you know you need that string of good feeling with a car and good qualifying or good race to perhaps extract the next steps and that’s where we are trying to get to.”
Mekies, who joined Red Bull after the British Grand Prix following the shock sacking of Christian Horner, said his early efforts have been focused on learning the organisation from within and identifying long-term opportunities for improvement.
“It’s still a process we’re in, you know, trying to meet as many people in the team as possible,” he explained. “It’s been two and a half weeks, I think so, the feeling [is] increasing day after day.
“Our team have been fantastic. They’ve been so supportive, so open minded, and it’s great.
“Every time you open a small box you find great people and things. And of course it doesn’t always convert into lap time like today, but every day that is passing you get to discover more this talent that we have and it gives us huge confidence into the future.
“It’s early on. That’s part of the plan is really to get to know the team, to understand where the strengths are, where the weaknesses are, and how we can support them the best.
“There is no doubt that the people we have are the very best at what they have and what they do.
“We are just going to try to find ways together to build more of a competitive advantage.”
Red Bull has been on the back foot throughout the weekend in Hungary, and Mekies said the team has experimented with different car setups on both Verstappen and Tsunoda’s cars to try to understand their grip deficit.
“In fairness we’ve been struggling since yesterday [Friday],” he said. “It’s been very difficult to put the car in the right window to give Max & Yuki the right feeling.
“We’ve now tried a number of things to turn the car around. But I have to say it’s probably same sort of thing today and not finding the grip overall.
“So far it’s fair to say that we haven’t given our drivers the car to do it.”
Verstappen will start eighth on the grid for Sunday’s race, with Tsunoda lining up 16th.
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