Mekies ponders why Red Bull has taken 'a step backwards' after difficult Silverstone qualifying
Red Bull Team Principal Laurent Mekies has admitted the team has lost performance compared to last weekend's Austrian Grand Prix after a difficult Saturday at Silverstone left Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar unable to challenge Mercedes and Ferrari for pole position.
It proved to be a frustrating day for the Milton Keynes-based squad. Verstappen struggled in both the Sprint and qualifying, finishing sixth in the Sprint before qualifying only seventh after battling a lack of straight-line speed and balance throughout the day.
Hadjar endured a difficult Sprint after losing positions at the start but bounced back impressively in qualifying, securing fifth on the grid—his best result since Monaco and ahead of his more experienced teammate.
Reflecting on the team's performance, Mekies admitted Red Bull had not been able to replicate the competitiveness it showed in Austria just a week earlier.
"To be honest, we have taken a step backwards compared to where we were in Austria and things have been difficult from the start of the weekend. We are still learning how to find the sweet spot with this car and that has proved to be more difficult here at Silverstone."
Mekies explained that while the team remained close to the front, it was unable to provide Verstappen with a car capable of extracting its full potential, particularly as the Dutchman struggled with straight-line speed during qualifying.
"Today, we are a little bit further off pole than we were yesterday and this afternoon, it proved to be more difficult on Max’s side of the garage.
"We never managed to give him a car with which he could push the way he would have wanted, he was losing speed in a straight line and, in this situation, when it is so close between the top four teams, that is where you end up."
Despite the overall disappointment, Mekies praised Hadjar's performance after the Frenchman delivered an impressive fifth-place qualifying effort despite facing similar limitations.
"Isack did a solid job, considering the limitations he also had with his car. Today, we seem to be the third best team, so let’s see how we can improve on that tomorrow."
