logo
F1 Insider Sees Mekies Changing Red Bull's Max Verstappen-Only Culture

F1 Insider Sees Mekies Changing Red Bull's Max Verstappen-Only Culture

Newsweek4 days ago
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Former Mercedes Formula One driver and Sky Sports F1 presenter Nico Rosberg has revealed that Laurent Mekies' Red Bull appointment to replace Christian Horner has uplifted Yuki Tsunoda's form, in a team that was "for Max Verstappen" and which "only cared about Max Verstappen."
Horner, who served as the team's CEO and team principal for 20 years, was ousted with immediate effect after the British Grand Prix. Mekies was deemed the most suitable successor to Horner, given his impressive track record with Red Bull's junior F1 team, Racing Bulls.
Rosberg was present at Spa-Francorchamps for last weekend's Belgian GP, where he noticed a motivated Tsunoda, given the presence of Mekies, with whom he shares a good rapport.
Several reports suggested that Verstappen was given more preference over his teammates under Horner's leadership. Tsunoda is currently Verstappen's third teammate in the last 12 months. Sergio Perez faced significant challenges in 2024 with the RB20 F1 car, which eventually led to his ousting after the season finale.
Yuki Tsunoda of Japan and Oracle Red Bull Racing talks with Laurent Mekies, Team Principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing on the grid prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps...
Yuki Tsunoda of Japan and Oracle Red Bull Racing talks with Laurent Mekies, Team Principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing on the grid prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on July 27, 2025 in Spa, Belgium. MorePerez's replacement, Liam Lawson, also faced similar challenges, resulting in his demotion to Racing Bulls after the first two races of the 2025 season. Tsunoda earned his Red Bull promotion at his home race in Suzuka, replacing Lawson. However, he too faced difficulties with his new team's F1 car. Red Bull reportedly designed its car around Verstappen, which caused his teammates to struggle.
Rosberg pointed out that Tsunoda looked more motivated with Mekies last weekend. Notably, the Japanese driver qualified P7 for Sunday's race at Spa, his best qualifying result with Red Bull thus far. This was after Mekies decided to use the upgraded floor on Tsunoda's RB20, which was kept as a spare for Verstappen.
Revealing that Tsunoda is receiving the attention he needs from a team principal since Mekies took over Red Bull, Rosberg said on Sky F1:
"He has now really empowered Yuki Tsunoda this weekend. He has given him the new upgrade, that he can have the new floor himself as well, not just Verstappen.
"He gives him a thumbs up and a smile after sessions. After qualifying, they connected as Yuki was driving in. He saw Laurent on the pit wall, giving him a big smile and a thumbs-up.
"That makes a huge difference to a driver when suddenly, he sees that he has the support from the team. Whereas before, he said, I heard that he felt like he was on a bit of an island on his own, in a team that was for Max Verstappen and they only cared about Max Verstappen.
"Now, Laurent straight away is also caring about Yuki."
Could this be the start of a new era at Red Bull under Mekies?
Related: Yuki Tsunoda Handed Last-Minute Upgrade by Red Bull's New Team Principal
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Miyu Yamashita struggles on 24th birthday and sees her Women's British Open lead shrink to one shot, Rockland's Megan Khang three back
Miyu Yamashita struggles on 24th birthday and sees her Women's British Open lead shrink to one shot, Rockland's Megan Khang three back

Boston Globe

time6 hours ago

  • Boston Globe

Miyu Yamashita struggles on 24th birthday and sees her Women's British Open lead shrink to one shot, Rockland's Megan Khang three back

Advertisement That put Yamashita — who turned 24 on Saturday — at 9-under 207. 'I'll be just looking at what went wrong and what went right and analyzing the day and make the improvements that hopefully will lead to a better round tomorrow,' Yamashita said. Kim put on a fabulous display as the wind got stronger with a 5-under 67. She had a chance to tie for the lead when she hit a 335-yard drive on the 18th hole with a helping wind and fast links turf. She went just long, used her putter from off the green and took three putts for par. Even so, it puts her in the final group with Yamashita as Lim goes for her second major, having won the Advertisement 'Honestly I'm not focused on the leader. I focus on my process and my shot and then my position,' Kim said. And it's not just Kim with a chance. Yamashita's struggles brought several possibilities in the final round, including the always entertaining Charley Hull. She shot a 66, going from 11 shots behind to within three shots of the lead as Hull goes for her first major. Charley Hull's moving day charge in less than 60 seconds ⏱️ — AIG Women's Open (@AIGWomensOpen) 'I just kind of enjoy chasing,' Hull said of playing from behind. 'It's more fun that way.' Andrea Lee had a 67 and was two shots behind, followed by Hull, Rockland native Megan Khang (68), Rio Takeda (74), and Minami Katsu, whose 65 matched the low score of the tournament. Khang, who had six birdies and two bogeys, will be paired with Hull for the final round. Rockland's Megan Khang had six birdies and two bogeys in a round of 4-under 68 that has her in a tie for fourth, three shots off the lead at the Women's British Open. Kin Cheung/Associated Press 'I think there will be a little bit of extra pressure on whoever is the 54-hole leader,' Lee said. 'Tomorrow is going to be pretty tough. Anything can happen out there. I think anyone within five shots has a chance at this championship honestly, so I'm just going to try and keep my head down and stick to my own game plan and try not to look at the leaderboard.' The Women's British Open had the look of a Japanese duel, with Yamashita three shots ahead of Takeda and no one else closer than seven shots. But it was a struggle for Yamashita early with her putting, and then one of the straightest drivers lost her way. She steadied herself with an approach — from the rough, of course — into 3 feet for birdie on No. 11, and a tee shot that settled 3 feet away for another birdie on the par-3 12th. Advertisement But playing out of the fescue caught up with her, and except for that 40-foot par putt on the 17th to keep her in the lead, it was a struggle to get done with the round. She's not backing down! What a moment for Miyu Yamashita to maintain her lead 👏 — AIG Women's Open (@AIGWomensOpen) Takeda wasn't much better, with two bogeys in four holes at the start and two more bogeys over the final five holes. Lottie Woad, the rising English star who Nelly Korda, the No. 1 player in women's golf, is likely to end the major championship season without a title. She shot 74 and fell nine shots behind. Korda has gone 13 tournaments without winning and risks losing her No. 1 ranking to Jeeno Thitikul depending on the final round. The LPGA Tour already is off to a historic start by not having a multiple winner through 19 tournaments, a streak that could continue. Only Kim and Takeda from the top 10 on the leaderboard have won this year.

Max Verstappen Believes Red Bull Are 'Going Around In Circles' After Hungarian F1 Disappointment
Max Verstappen Believes Red Bull Are 'Going Around In Circles' After Hungarian F1 Disappointment

Newsweek

time9 hours ago

  • Newsweek

Max Verstappen Believes Red Bull Are 'Going Around In Circles' After Hungarian F1 Disappointment

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Red Bull driver Max Verstappen was left disappointed after failing to qualify in the top five for the Hungarian Grand Prix. The RB-21 looked poor throughout all three practice sessions. The team has managed to get the car operating at a high level seemingly out of nowhere, but in Hungary, there was no magic left. Verstappen himself has carried the car up the grid and outperformed expectations, but he also couldn't muster much in terms of pace. Eighth placed qualifier Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing in parc ferme during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on August 02, 2025 in Budapest, Hungary. Eighth placed qualifier Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing in parc ferme during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on August 02, 2025 in Budapest, Hungary. Photo byAfter showing dismal pace in the car, the four-time champion was happy just to make it to Q3. "Looking at the whole weekend, I think we are happy to be in Q3. Because I've been more outside of the top 10 than in," the Dutchman told the media. "It's been difficult this whole weekend. No grip, front and rear. It was the same in qualifying. For me, it was not really a shock. I just drove to what I already feel the whole weekend. "I think we still qualified very close to pole. Within a few hundredths. I think we were a lot more competitive back then. This weekend, already from lap one, it just felt off. "We threw the car around a lot. Nothing really gave a direction. That, of course, is the biggest problem. Normally, when you change a lot on the side of it, it will always give you positives or negatives. "Now, nothing works. It's like going around in circles. Nothing gives you any kind of idea of what to do." Red Bull and Verstappen are almost out of contention for a title this season, making the rest of the season about trying to spring surprise results. On pace and merit, Red Bull can't match the McLaren cars and are behind the Ferrari and Mercedes at most tracks. P8 is still a solid result for the team, especially considering Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda finished in P16. If the team can find performance for the race on Sunday, a climb up the grid could be on the cards. Hungarian Grand Prix Qualifying Results

Yamashita struggles and sees her Women's British Open lead shrink to 1 shot over Kim
Yamashita struggles and sees her Women's British Open lead shrink to 1 shot over Kim

Fox Sports

time10 hours ago

  • Fox Sports

Yamashita struggles and sees her Women's British Open lead shrink to 1 shot over Kim

Associated Press PORTHCAWL, Wales (AP) — Miyu Yamashita was crooked off the tee and struggled on the greens, a rough combination that led to a hard-fought round of 2-over 74 on Saturday that shrunk her lead to one shot over A Lim Kim in the Women's British Open. Yamashita, who led by three shots going into the third round, did not hit a fairway over the last 11 holes and still managed to stay in front at Royal Porthcawl, though it wasn't easy. She was on the verge of losing the lead on the 17th when she blasted out of a pot bunker all the way across the green to the fringe, some 40 feet away. She holed that putt for par, and then missed a birdie chance from just inside 6 feet on the par-5 closing hole. That put Yamashita — who turned 24 on Saturday — at 9-under 207. 'Today I'll be just looking at what went wrong and what went right and analyzing the day and make the improvements that hopefully will lead to a better round tomorrow,' Yamashita said. Kim put on a fabulous display as the wind got stronger with a 5-under 67. She had a chance to tie for the lead when she hit a 335-yard drive on the 18th hole with a helping wind and fast links turf. She went just long, used her putter from off the green and took three putts for par. Even so, it puts her in the final group with Yamashita as Lim goes for her second major, having won the U.S. Women's Open in 2020 in Houston without fans during the COVID-19 pandemic. 'Honestly I'm not focused on the leader. I focus on my process and my shot and then my position,' Kim said. And it's not just Kim with a chance. Yamashita's struggles brought several possibilities in the final round, including the always entertaining Charley Hull of England. She shot a 66, going from 11 shots behind to within three shots of the lead as Hull goes for her first major. 'I just kind of enjoy chasing,' Hull said of playing from behind. 'It's more fun that way.' Andrea Lee had a 67 and was two shots behind, followed by Hull, Megan Khang (68), Rio Takeda (74) and Minami Katsu, whose 65 matched the low score of the tournament. 'I think there will be a little bit of extra pressure on whoever is the 54-hole leader,' Lee said. 'Tomorrow is going to be pretty tough. Anything can happen out there. I think anyone within five shots has a chance at this championship honestly, so I'm just going to try and keep my head down and stick to my own game plan and try not to look at the leaderboard.' The Women's British Open had the look of a Japanese duel, with Yamashita three shots ahead of Takeda and no one else closer than seven shots. But it was a struggle for Yamashita early with her putting, and then one of the straightest drivers lost her way. She steadied herself with an approach — from the rough, of course — into 3 feet for birdie on No. 11, and a tee shot that settled 3 feet away for another birdie on the par-3 12th. But playing out of the fescue caught up with her, and except for that 40-foot par putt on the 17th to keep her in the lead, it was a struggle to get done with the round. Takeda wasn't much better, with two bogeys in four holes at the start and two more bogeys over the final five holes. Lottie Woad, the rising English star who won last week in her professional debut, birdied the last hole for a 71 and wound up six shots behind. Nelly Korda, the No. 1 player in women's golf, is likely to end the major championship season without a title. She shot 74 and fell nine shots behind. Korda has gone 13 tournaments without winning and risks losing her No. 1 ranking to Jeeno Thitikul depending on the final round. The LPGA Tour already is off to a historic start by not having a multiple winner through 19 tournaments, a streak that could continue. Only Kim and Takeda from the top 10 on the leaderboard have won this year. ___ AP golf:

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store