Source: Official Team Post via X
Red Bull Plays Down Impact of Verstappen's Engine Penalty in Brazil
Red Bull's Laurent Mekies dismissed the idea that Max Verstappen's grid penalty cost him a win in São Paulo, citing McLaren's superior pace. Despite starting 21st, Verstappen finished second, but Mekies acknowledged McLaren's edge throughout the race.
Max Verstappen's performance at the São Paulo Grand Prix was nothing short of remarkable, as he climbed from the back of the grid to finish second. Despite this impressive recovery, Red Bull's team principal, Laurent Mekies, has downplayed any notion that Verstappen's unplanned power unit change was the reason he didn't secure the victory.
Starting from 21st position, Verstappen's charge through the field at Interlagos marked his third consecutive podium finish at the Brazilian circuit, a testament to his extraordinary driving ability. However, questions lingered about whether the engine penalty had cost him a chance to beat McLaren's Lando Norris, who ultimately took the win.
Verstappen himself seemed doubtful, pointing out a significant shift in car balance after his first pit stop. Initially, he was trailing Norris by seven seconds after the McLaren driver had relinquished the lead momentarily to Kimi Antonelli. As Norris switched from intermediates to slicks on Lap 16, the gap widened to nearly 15 seconds by the race's end, even as conditions turned wet again.
Mekies conceded that Norris and McLaren were simply faster on the day. "Well done to Lando and McLaren," Mekies said, acknowledging their speed advantage. "Even if you start P2, I think on pace Lando was anyway a bit faster than us today."
He noted that Verstappen's complaints about car balance, particularly after the switch to dry tyres, were a factor. The team is still analyzing whether these issues contributed to their inability to challenge McLaren more closely.
Despite these challenges, Mekies praised Verstappen's drive, which exceeded the team's expectations. "No sim in the world will predict that you go from P21 to P2," he remarked, highlighting Verstappen's knack for outperforming simulation models.
The decision to change Verstappen's power unit, which led to the grid penalty, was not part of the original plan. A problem surfaced during Friday's sessions, prompting the team to take action. "It’s easy to forget that it’s the team's first year with the power unit," Mekies said, emphasizing the team's overall strong performance despite the setback. "We take the first penalty with Max this weekend, and that’s what it is. It was not planned."
In the end, while Verstappen's grid penalty was a setback, Mekies made it clear that McLaren's superior pace was always going to be a significant hurdle. It seems the weekend was more about what McLaren achieved rather than what Red Bull might have lost.