Mekies: Mercedes remains the benchmark as Red Bull chases podiums
NXTbets Pro | Published On: October 6, 2026
Red Bull measures its progress
The team remains very difficult to match consistently, Laurent Mekies says, and Red Bull has to measure itself against that standard. That view shapes how Red Bull reads its season. Max Verstappen’s Bahrain Grand Prix victory gave the team a milestone moment, and it offered a clear reminder that Red Bull still has a path to the front. The margins are thin. In Azerbaijan, Verstappen missed victory by 0.196 seconds, a result that showed how little separates the leading cars when the field is tight. Mekies sees that as part of a season in which Red Bull can keep pressure on the front-runners without pretending the gap has closed. He expects Red Bull to remain in the podium fight for the rest of the season. That keeps the outlook competitive and leaves the team everyone else must chase with a standard Red Bull is still trying to match.
Red Bull upgrade gains
Red Bull’s recent results, Mekies said, reflect progress with its upgrade packages. The gains have come race by race, with the team finding incremental performance at Monza, Madrid and Baku. Those improvements matter because they keep Red Bull in the conversation at weekends where the outright pace has not always been enough to dominate. Each small step gives the team more room to fight at the front and more chances to turn a solid run into a podium result. Mekies framed those developments as evidence that the work is heading in the right direction. He did not present them as a finished answer. He described them as part of a steady build that has made Red Bull more competitive while the benchmark role remains out of reach. Red Bull also had been in position to challenge for another double podium before turning its focus to Singapore. That shows the team is close enough to sense bigger results, even if the final edge still depends on the details of each weekend. The pattern is clear. Red Bull keeps adding pieces, and the upgrades are giving it a better platform to stay in the fight.
Singapore and project work
Singapore may offer Red Bull another chance to turn those gains into a stronger result. Mekies said the track may suit the team because of its slow-speed corner performance. That matters because Red Bull has been looking for places where its strengths carry cleanly through the lap. If the package works as expected, the team can stay within range of the front and keep building on the momentum it has found in recent races. The weekend also comes with a reminder of how fragile results can be. Isack Hadjar’s battery issue limited him to fifth place. That kind of setback can change the shape of a race quickly, even when a team has enough pace to contend higher up the order. Mekies’ wider point extends beyond one weekend in Singapore. Red Bull’s first success as a power unit manufacturer came with Red Bull Ford Powertrains, and he credited the team in Milton Keynes and the group at the track for the five-year project. That work ties into the bigger picture he described. Red Bull sees progress in the upgrade path, a chance at a stronger weekend in Singapore and a milestone with its power unit program. Red Bull believes the evidence is enough to keep pushing for podiums through the rest of the season.
