Red Bull detail key factor behind 'historic' F1 turnaround

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has issued praise to everyone inside the team following what proved to be a successful end to last season.

The Milton Keynes-based squad rose to the forefront of the grid in the final third of the campaign after slipping in the order in the middle of the year.

Red Bull's blip allowed McLaren to stretch its legs at the head of the field, leaving four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen to largely be considered a non-contender in the title fight.

After the Dutch GP at the end of August, Verstappen was 104 points adrift in the drivers' standings before going on a successful run that saw him score 10 consecutive podiums - including six race wins - leaving him just two points shy of a fifth successive title.

Detailing the factors behind the turnaround, speaking to the media, including RacingNews365, Mekies praised his team members not visible at the race track.

“The credit for the turnaround, the spectacular turnaround of form, is very simple,” he said. “It's down to 2,000 people that you never see back in Milton Keynes, who simply didn’t want to give up. 

“It didn’t matter how hard the first part of the season was, how hard the changes that were made in the middle of the season were for them to digest - it didn’t matter. 

“They just didn’t want to give up. That’s what they have managed to achieve, a historic turnaround. 

“They are the guys and girls behind the fact that everything started to click together.”

Red Bull continued to develop its car late into the year and experimented with the set-up to provide Verstappen with the best tools possible to challenge for the title.

While the decisions did not always pay off, Mekies defended Red Bull's risk approach to the battle.

“They unlocked a little bit of performance, and a little bit more performance led to even more risk,” he said. “We fell quite a few times. I’m sure you guys recall Budapest. I’m sure you recall Brazil qualifying. 

“You don’t take risks for free. Nothing is for free. You take risks, you fall, you get back on your feet, and you love the way you're going racing altogether. 

“And everybody is in the same boat. Max is in the same boat, 2,000 people are in the same boat, our shareholders are in the same boat. 

“That’s where the secret is - a united group that just doesn’t want to give up.”