Red Bull boss: Max Verstappen was untouchable!

Pulse Sports Team 15:23 - 04 October 2026

Red Bull Formula 1 team principal Laurent Mekies heaped praise on Max Verstappen following the Dutchman's commanding victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, hailing the milestone as a pivotal moment in the team's evolution.

Securing their first triumph of the Formula 1 season proved historic on multiple fronts for both the four-time world champion and the Milton Keynes-based outfit.

Verstappen's win preserves his remarkable streak of clinching at least one Grand Prix victory in every season since 2016, his sophomore year in F1. Red Bull also extended their own unbroken run of taking at least one victory in every campaign since 2015.

Crucially, the result marks a maiden victory for the Red Bull-Ford partnership as a power unit manufacturer, accomplished in just their 16th race together.

"It feels incredible," Mekies told Viaplay after the race. "It felt like a long time since Abu Dhabi last year, but in reality, this is only our 16th race. It's our first victory as a complete works constructor—both chassis and power unit. The first win for Red Bull-Ford Powertrains. It's an amazing start to this journey. To achieve it in this manner with such strong pace throughout the entire weekend is fantastic. Max was simply untouchable."

The Dutch driver delivered a masterclass at Sepang to claim his 72nd career victory amid chaotic scenes brought on by torrential rain and rapidly changing track conditions.

The win was earned purely on merit through outright pace—a key target the team and Mekies had been relentlessly chasing over recent months.

The RB22 has displayed strong race pace in recent rounds. Having missed out on victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix by just two-tenths of a second the previous weekend, the team boss sensed that a top-step finish was just around the corner.

"We'll take it race by race, but already in Baku we proved we were right on the pace. Hopefully, we can carry this momentum forward for a long time to come," Mekies added.