Max Verstappen Assesses First Race Without Christian Horner and GP Lambiase
Red Bull Racing Formula One driver Max Verstappen has opened up on his first race weekend with new CEO and team principal Laurent Mekies after his Belgian Grand Prix sprint race victory. Verstappen also revealed his experience of working with interim race engineer Simon Rennie, since his full-time race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase (GP), was away for personal reasons.
The sprint race marked Verstappen and Red Bull's first race without ousted team principal Christian Horner. Mekies replaced Horner after the British Grand Prix. Lambiase is absent for this weekend, and it is unclear if he will return for the following weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix.
Rennie, who has been the race engineer for Daniel Ricciardo in the past and is Red Bull's group leader of simulation engineering, will take over Lambiase's duties in supporting Verstappen.
Speaking about the big change in the team's leadership, the Dutchman was asked after the sprint race about the change he felt so far, and about his experience with Rennie. He told the media:
Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing and Laurent Mekies, Team Principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing talk in the garage during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium at...
Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing and Laurent Mekies, Team Principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing talk in the garage during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on July 25, 2025 in Spa, Belgium. More"I mean, it's very difficult to, within two weeks, you know, suddenly say like, a lot of things need to change out of the blue. It's about starting the relationship and just understanding how everyone is operating.
"And then at one point, you know, you come to conclusions and maybe you want to change something and this is something that will happen over the coming weeks, months.
"So it's, it's really early days, but so far, you know, he's very keen and very motivated, and that's exactly, I think, what you want also, and I got on very well with him, you know, so yeah, it's been a very good start."
Moving on to Rennie, the four-time champion continued said:
"And also with Simon, I mean, he has a lot of racing experience already and, of course, he's been part of the team already for a very long time. Of course, the last few years not anymore in a race engineer role, but he steps in and he's immediately on it. So also again, very enjoyable to work with Simon."
Mekies is said to be starting a new era at Red Bull, considering the team was led by Horner for 20 years. Verstappen said that regardless of who leads the team, he will continue to give his best on the racetrack. He said:
"I mean, the team can always count on me — I will always give my very best, you know, whoever is in charge. And yeah, they know that I'm never holding back or anything.
"I'm always trying to give them the best possible result, and that's also what they pay me for. And yeah, for sure, it's positive. We need, of course, positive energy, and yeah, that's a great start for us."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC News
an hour ago
- NBC News
Tadej Pogačar 'speechless' after winning fourth Tour de France
Tadej Pogačar blasted his way to a fourth Tour de France victory on Sunday, besting rival Jonas Vingegaard by 4:24 across the famed Champs-Élysées finish line. Billed as a clash between two titans, this year's race was filled with ghosts of Pogačar's past, including the Hautacam, Mont Ventoux and the Col de la Loze climbs where he had lost significant time in previous Tours to Vingegaard. This year, Pogačar, of UAE Team Emirates XRG, conquered them all. 'Just speechless to win the Tour de France, this one feels especially amazing,' he said. 'Just super proud that I can wear this yellow jersey.' Vingegaard, of Denmark, suffered significant time losses early in the race beginning with his botched performance during the Stage 5 time trial. He crossed the finish 1:20 behind Pogačar, who continued to build a steady time gap that eventually became too large for Vingegaard to overcome. Despite launching attack after attack and maintaining an upbeat attitude during interviews, Vingegaard, of Visma–Lease a Bike, proved to be a mere mortal compared to Pogačar's superhuman prowess. 'Battling against Jonas was a tough experience, but I must say to him respect and big, big congratulations to him for his fight and incredible race,' Pogačar said. As of Sunday, two-time Tour winner Vingegaard has finished runner up to Pogačar three times. He will next take on the Vuelta a España, Spain's grand tour, in August. His teammate, Belgian rider Wout van Aert, won Sunday's rainy stage that featured three climbs around Montmartre instead of the traditional ceremonial ride into Paris. Van Aert stunned onlookers in the last kilometer around the hill, known for its artistic history and the Sacré-Cœur basilica, as he dropped Pogačar in a final attack on the steepest section. 'We came to this tour with ambition to also win the yellow jersey but the strongest rider in the race and biggest rider on the road won,' said van Aert. 'I'm proud of how we raced as a team, how we kept trying every day.' German climber Florian Lipowitz, of Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe, finished third in the general classification, coming in 11:09 behind Pogačar, and taking home the white jersey for best young rider. His podium finish is all the more impressive considering this was his Tour debut. He was meant to be riding in a supportive role for teammate and Tour veteran Primož Roglič from Slovenia. But in the end, Lipowitz, who is 11 years younger than 35-year-old Roglič emerged as the stronger rider. And Roglič, who has crashed out of several grand tours in recent years, appeared happy to just finish the race. Indeed, this year's Tour was filled with unforgettable performances by the next generation of emerging talent. Few people could have predicted the rise of Irish climber Ben Healy, who wore the yellow jersey for two days early in the race after launching strong attacks based purely on instinct. His team, EF Education-EasyPost, came into the race without its team leader, Richard Carapaz, but Healy quickly stepped into the role. He took the Stage 6 win and was awarded with the Tour's 'Super Combative' prize for what his team described as 'exploits' on the road. 'It is one thing to achieve what you set out to achieve; it is another to do it with a smile,' team sports director Charly Wegelius said in a statement. Italian sprinter Jonathan Milan, of Lidl–Trek, dominated in the green jersey for much of his Tour debut. The contest for points classification appeared to open in Stage 3 when the reigning champion, Jasper Philipsen, of Alpecin–Deceuninck, was thrown over his handlebars during an intermediate sprint. The Belgian fastman was forced to abandon with a fractured collarbone and at least one broken rib. Milan and teammate Quinn Simmons, from Durango, Colorado, soon began a relentless campaign to best the remaining sprinters and succeeded. Simmons, donning his iconic handlebar mustache and American flag road champion's jersey, was seen at the front of the peloton nearly every day for three weeks. He proved to be the perfect lead out man for Milan, who wouldn't let rain or crashes slow him down. In the end, Milan edged out Pogačar in the final points classification and Simmons proposed to his girlfriend — she said yes! — after crossing the finish line.
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Oscar Piastri Triumphs At Rain-Delayed Belgian GP
Oscar Piastri At Spa-Francorchamps, rain is a perennial guest. The 2025 Belgian Grand Prix saw no different. The start was delayed by about 80 minutes due to poor visibility and rainy conditions. But once racing got underway, a decisive first-lap move by Oscar Piastri helped secure his win. The McLarens Duel After five laps behind the safety car, polesitter Lando Norris led the pack on a rolling start, his McLaren teammate bitingly close to his gearbox. Tailing him through Eau Rouge and Raidillon, Piastri completed his overtake along the Kemmel Straight for the lead of the Grand Prix. "I knew that Lap 1 was going to be probably my best chance of winning the race, and I got a good exit out of Turn 1 and lifted as little as I dared through Eau Rouge and then it was enough," said Piastri. From that point on, the battle shifted from simply pace to strategy. Race-leader Piastri was called in first and opted for mediums, the faster option, but one that came with higher degradation risk over the race distance. Norris, stopping a lap later, went for the hards, banking on long-run consistency and late-race pace. Piastri's tyres began to fade toward the end, and Norris attempted to capitalize. However, minor mistakes like locking up at Pouhon and again at La Source on the penultimate lap, undid any hopes of a last-lap showdown. In the end, Piastri held firm, taking his sixth win of the season and extending his lead in the Drivers' Championship to 16 points. Charles Leclerc Leclerc's Podium Battle While McLaren fought out at the front of the field, Charles Leclerc was engaged in a battle of his own. The Monegasque qualified third place but keeping the position proved tricky. With the track drying rapidly and a setup favoring dry conditions, Charles Leclerc faced his toughest test early in the race, fighting Max Verstappen in wet conditions. His defensive driving was effective though. By prioritising control and Verstappen losing time in his pitstop, Leclerc managed to keep the Dutchman at bay and managed his pace to hold onto third. This is Leclerc's fourth podium in the last six races. Hamilton Climbs Up The Grid Lewis Hamilton endured a difficult qualifying session, spinning during his lap and exiting early in Q1, leaving him to start 18th on the grid. The race, however, was all about damage limitation. Looking more comfortable in his scarlet Ferrari, the Briton, climbed the grid, overtake after overtake, picking off his opponents until he was in the point-scoring positions. Albon Finishes Sixth For Williams, Alex Albon turned a strong qualifying into a point-scoring result, securing sixth place. His teammate Carlos Sainz, starting from the pitlane, struggled throughout the race and finished 18th. Drivers Criticize Lengthy Belgian GP Delay The Dutchman voiced his opinion on the delayed start, calling the 80-minute wait 'a bit of a shame.' He argued that running a few laps behind the safety car would have improved visibility and that the FIA's decisions were stifling classic wet race excitement. Hamilton echoed this sentiment. 'We obviously started the race a little too late, I would say…I kept shouting like 'it's ready to go, it's ready to go'. And they kept going round and round," he said. With Piastri extending his lead and rivals scrambling to keep pace, there's still plenty to fight for in the championship battle with 11 rounds left. Up next is Hungary. Belgian GP classification 1 Oscar Piastri (McLaren) 2 Lando Norris (McLaren), +3.415s 3 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), +20.185s 4 Max Verstappen (Red Bull), +21.731s 5 George Russell (Mercedes), +34.863s 6 Alex Albon (Williams), +39.926s 7 Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), +40.679s 8 Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls), +52.033s 9 Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber), +56.434s 10 Pierre Gasly (Alpine), +1m12.714s 11 Ollie Bearman (Haas), +1m13.145s 12 Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber), +1m13.628s 13 Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull), +1m15.395s 14 Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), +1m19.831s 15 Esteban Ocon (Haas), +1m26.063s 16 Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), +1m26.721s 17 Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), +1m27.924s 18 Carlos Sainz (Williams), +1m32.024s 19 Franco Colapinto (Alpine), +1m35.250s 20 Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls), +1 lap
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Delayed start at Belgian Grand Prix highlights Formula 1's challenge with racing in the rain
Of all the thousands of pieces of equipment that Formula 1 hauls around the world, few are used less often than the full wet tire. They stayed piled up in stacks, not on the cars, on Sunday as drivers sat out a rain delay of more than an hour to the start of the Belgian Grand Prix. It wasn't because F1 cars lack grip in heavy rain. Manufacturer Pirelli says the full wet tires can cope with that. The problem is that drivers behind can't see through the spray, and the first attempt to start Sunday's race on time illustrated the problem. Even crawling around at formation lap pace with only Lando Norris and the safety car ahead, eventual winner Oscar Piastri said he 'couldn't see a thing,' adding, 'you can only imagine what it's like for the guys at the back.' When the race started, it was behind the safety car at low speed before the all-clear to go racing. Like all of the drivers, Piastri was using the intermediate tires, which are recommended for light rain or a drying track, when he eventually passed Norris for the win. 'The past few years, particularly here, we've given the (governing body) FIA feedback that we would much rather be on the safe side than risk anything,' Piastri said. 'If you were to be picky, maybe we could have done one less formation lap (behind the safety car), but in the grand scheme of things, if that's one lap too early, is it worth it? No.' Visibility is a particular concern at Spa, a fast track with a history of serious accidents. They include Anthoine Hubert's death in a Formula 2 crash in dry conditions in 2019 and another fatal accident claiming the life of Dutch teenage driver Dilano van 't Hoff in a junior series in the rain in 2023. 'I have to say that on a track like this, with what happened historically, I think you cannot forget about it. For that reason I would rather be safe than (start) too early," said Charles Leclerc, who finished third Sunday and who was friends with Hubert since childhood. Under the current F1 design regulations in place since 2022, cars have ground-effect aerodynamics which use the floor to generate grip but can also throw up more spray. If there's enough rain for the full wet tires to be faster than the intermediates, it's likely the race will be stopped because of poor visibility anyway. There was a reminder of the importance of visibility this month at the British Grand Prix when Isack Hadjar collided with Kimi Antonelli's car from behind while driving in the Italian's trail of spray. 'I didn't see him,' Hadjar said. 'He just appeared out of nowhere, man. Oh my God.' ___ AP auto racing:
