Max Verstappen shares early thoughts on working with Laurent Mekies as 2026 Red Bull plans confirmed

Once Mercedes were said to have made a decision on their next driver, Verstappen was ruled out almost immediately after F1 left Spa-Francorchamps following a meeting in Monaco earlier this year between Toto Wolff and Jos Verstappen.

One area that may help ease some concerns is new team boss Laurent Mekies, who is known for his ability to translate driver feedback into meaningful changes – something Verstappen has often pointed out as lacking at Red Bull in recent years.

Max Verstappen ‘feeling’ very positive about Laurent Mekies partnership as Red Bull future decided

Verstappen has taken one ‘intense’ measure with Mekies to attack some of the weaknesses that the team must overcome.

Being on the same page will be important, considering that they will be working together for a long time. Helmut Marko recently confirmed to sport.de where Verstappen will be racing in 2026.

“Yes, I can confirm that Max Verstappen will drive for Red Bull in 2026,” he said. The reigning champion’s contract is set to run until the end of 2028, but he has made no secret of his desire to race in other categories. He could hang his boots up before then.

Vitally, De Telegraaf reports that Verstappen is ‘feeling’ positive about his relationship with new boss Mekies and that he is ‘comfortable’ within the team.

Max Verstappen’s 2025 struggles mirror a difficult period in the 2019 F1 season

It’s been a tough stretch for Verstappen, with just one podium finish in his last six races. The last time he went through such a dry spell was during the middle of the 2019 season.

That year marked Honda’s return to Formula 1 after their struggles with McLaren, and they were still finding their way back then.

Now, Red Bull are preparing to part ways with Honda again as they start building engines in partnership with Ford for the first time in two decades.

If their new engine gets off to a slow start, it might not be long before Verstappen starts considering other options for his future.

Not being able to fight for wins is always tough on drivers used to success, especially when there were hopes of matching the record for five consecutive titles this year.