Mekies Downplays Role in Verstappen's Monza Win Amid Red Bull's Setup Breakthrough

Laurent Mekies, Red Bull team boss, claims he played "zero" part in Max Verstappen's dominant victory at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, despite praise from the driver and Helmut Marko. This win marks Mekies' first Grand Prix victory since taking over as team principal after Christian Horner's departure.

Why it matters

Mekies' self-effacing statement highlights the vast collective effort behind every F1 success. More importantly, it brings to light Red Bull's recent breakthroughs in car setup, a crucial development after a period of inconsistent performance and a dominant McLaren. The team's ability to refine its car's handling is key to challenging for future wins.

The big picture

Verstappen returned to the top step of the podium at Monza, his first win since the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. He initially lost the lead to Lando Norris but quickly recovered, demonstrating a comfortable pace advantage that ultimately saw him finish 19 seconds ahead. This victory signals a potential shift in Red Bull's fortunes.

The details

• Mekies' perspective: "The level of contribution is zero," Mekies stated bluntly. He attributes the success to the 1500 people working to make the car faster, emphasizing that his role is solely to create optimal conditions for their talent.
• Verstappen's praise: Verstappen credited Mekies' engineering background for asking "common-sense questions" that helped guide the team toward a better setup direction. He noted a significant improvement in the car's handling, particularly in Zandvoort and Monza, after previous struggles with extreme setup changes.
• Marko's endorsement: Helmut Marko, despite Mekies' modesty, praised him as an "excellent engineer." Marko highlighted Mekies' data-driven approach, blended with the experience of Max and the race engineers, as key to creating a "predictable and driveable" car.
• Setup strategy: Technical director Pierre Wache confirmed that Verstappen himself pushed for a specific setup direction, using less rear wing, which has since been optimized and appears to be working effectively.
• Season context: Red Bull has endured a tough campaign, struggling for consistent results against a dominant McLaren, making this win a significant high point.

What's next

While Verstappen's win reduces the points gap to 94 with eight races remaining, securing the Drivers' Championship remains a long shot. The focus for Red Bull will be to analyze if this optimized setup direction translates to strong performances on different track layouts, building momentum for the remainder of the season and into 2025.