Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies has said “the world has discovered a more extraordinary” Max Verstappen this year, regardless of whether he wins the Formula 1 title or not.
The Dutchman is in the fight to secure his fifth straight Drivers’ Championship in this weekend’s curtain-closer in Abu Dhabi, arriving 12 points behind title-leader Lando Norris.
Verstappen has conjured a remarkable turnaround of what was, by his standards, a modest and mediocre 2025 in terms of results.
Since the summer break, Verstappen has managed to finish on the podium in every race and win five, giving him a shot at the title, a feat that seemed unlikely not too many months ago.
This has largely been down to a combination of the rejuvenated RB21 and Verstappen’s own incredibly high standard of driving.
And ahead of the title showdown, Mekies was asked, regardless of whether he wins, if this has been his best-ever season in F1.
“It’s you guys that are here to judge how historical a season is compared to the others,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“I think whether or not Max will win, it’s probably fair to say that the world discovered an even more extraordinary Max this season, after his fourth world title, a bit because of the magnitude of the comeback, a bit because, as you said, he has been so relaxed, so well seated in the team, embracing so much of the challenge with the right spirit.
“A bit also because we have seen him racing elsewhere, I think it has all taken a bit of a part of our heart when we have seen him spending his free weekends being a new dad, racing with GT cars around the world.
“I don’t know, it’s up to you guys to say if in that case that could become the best of his title, but for sure, in terms of whatever happens next, the scale of the comeback is something that hopefully will go in a few history books.”
Mekies praises Red Bull staff for ‘doing magic in the shadow’
Verstappen has the advantage of being the only driver of the trio who has previously won the title, which may hold a lot when the pressure is on, if the circumstances allow it.
Asked if there is a psychological edge Verstappen will hold via that experience, Mekies not only praised his #1 driver, but also the team back at Milton Keynes, who have helped Verstappen take the fight to Norris and Oscar Piastri.
“Look, this guy never gets it wrong, Max just never does a mistake,” he added.
“I say that, he keeps surprising us every day, you throw him out there, sometimes the car is great, sometimes it’s a touch less great than what we would hope, and he doesn’t miss a start, he doesn’t miss a tyre management, he doesn’t miss an overtaking, it’s just the way it is.”
Mekies added that “it is true that it gives a lot of confidence to the whole team, it is true that it fits so well with, in general, the approach that this team has on how you go racing, taking maximum risk, accepting the pain when the risk goes over the edge.
“And if you think back to the 2,000 people in the Milton Keynes that have been doing the magic in the shadow, in trying to get that car back to life in the second part of the year, it’s obviously created great connections, and yes, it gives great confidence.”
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