Max Verstappen's F1 boss accepts tough Red Bull reality ahead of Austrian Grand Prix

Red Bull

Max Verstappen's F1 boss accepts tough Red Bull reality ahead of Austrian Grand Prix

Laurent Mekies desperately wants to keep hold of his star driver

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Sunday 21 June 2026 08:56

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Laurent Mekies, the Red Bull team principal and boss of four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen, has revealed the team's latest upgrades will not be enough to see them challenging for race victories.

Red Bull plan on bringing an upgrade package to Austria next weekend for the eighth round of the season, with the hopes that it will allow them to see improved form compared to their disappointing start to the campaign.

Red Bull are currently sat down in fourth in the constructors' championship, while Verstappen is seventh in the drivers' standings, having failed to achieve a single race win so far this year.

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The Dutchman's future at the team has been called into question, especially because of his inability to regularly challenge for race victories amid the 2026 regulation changes.

Following the Barcelona GP last time out, reports in German media suggested the exit clause in Verstappen’s contract would allow him to leave the team if he is not in the top two of the drivers' championship by July 1.

That date comes immediately after the Austrian GP, meaning it is now impossible for him to be in the top two by that date, with second-place Lewis Hamilton 60 points ahead of the four-time champion.

If Verstappen does choose to activate his exit clause and Red Bull fail to agree on whether to buy it out or not, the Dutchman would be able to look for a new team and announce his departure ahead of the 2027 season, making it crucial for Red Bull to start proving to their star driver that they are on an upwards trajectory.

But Mekies' brutally honest quotes in Barcelona suggest that the reality of their position in the F1 2026 pecking order is really starting to hit home.

Mekies trying all he can to keep Verstappen

"The picture of the season is these performance variations based on who is bringing an upgrade," Mekies told media. "Ferrari made a big step forward.

"Obviously, our next big one is in Austria, but it's only as good as the real lap time it brings on track. Everyone in Milton Keynes has been working very hard on that package, and there is no doubt that the Austrian upgrade alone will not be enough," the Red Bull team principal admitted.

Despite this, Mekies is slightly more positive about what is to come further down the line, as Red Bull seek to continue to close the gap to McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari as the season progresses.

"We know we'll need some further steps, but what is important is that we stay on this continuous, closing-the-gap trajectory that we have been on since post-Japan.

"We need to continue to get closer, so that we don't talk anymore about four tenths, but hopefully about less."

That may not be enough to convince Verstappen to stay, however, with a report from German outlet Bild also suggesting that Verstappen's exit clause option remains open until October after it opens following the July 1 deadline.

Will Verstappen leave Red Bull?

There has been no indication from the Dutchman as of yet that he would want to depart the team amid the exit clause, although this is now the third season in a row that he has been linked with a move away.

In 2024 and 2025, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff was publicly pursuing the idea of Verstappen joining his team, although the form of Kimi Antonelli alongside George Russell this year has been impressive, and the two drivers have helped Mercedes gain a lead in the constructors' championship.

Of course, the main rumours surrounding Verstappen's future this year have involved the idea that he could walk away from the sport entirely.

Verstappen has been very critical of the 2026 regulations, claiming the new cars are 'not fun' to drive.

Back in April, it was even reported that he was 'seriously considering' retiring from the sport at the age of just 28, although that appears to be off the cards for now.

Written by

Sam Cook - Digital Journalist

Sam Cook is a talented young sports journalist and social media professional who now specialises in Formula 1, having previously worked as a football journalist and a local news reporter for a variety of different brands.

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F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen Austrian Grand Prix Laurent Mekies