Red Bull make unbelievable claim about Max Verstappen: 'No sim able to do that'

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has said that Max Verstappen is beating the simulator on a "regular basis" after he stormed from P21 to second in the São Paulo Grand Prix.

Verstappen defied all expectations with his exploits in Brazil after his weekend was railroaded by an unanticipated power unit problem that necessitated a grid penalty.

But for the third time in three years, the Dutchman carved his way through the field at Interlagos, having won from P17 in 2024 and reached the podium from the pit lane 12 months ago.

Before the race, projections suggested it would be more difficult to overtake in São Paulo this season than in campaigns gone by, but the four-time F1 drivers' champion was determined to put on a clinic in changeable conditions.

When it was put to Mekies that Verstappen had proven wrong the belief that it would be harder to overtake than previously at Interlagos, the Red Bull boss replied to media, including RacingNews365: "As always.

"I think no sim in the world will predict that you go from P21 to P2, or that you get 14 places in five laps; there is no sim able to do that. So he's beating the sim on a regular basis."

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Mekies: Power unit issues 'part of the game'

Mekies had also been asked how frustrating it was to have Verstappen required to take a grid penalty, but the Frenchman was keen to emphasise the "extraordinary" feat that Red Bull Powertrains and Ford have achieved in just the first year of the partnership.

"To the first part of your question, of course it's frustrating [that the power unit-related grid penalty was needed], because the pace seemed good on Friday and also on Saturday morning, and in some respects in Q1 when we let him qualify, but it's part of the game," Mekies added.

"It's easy to forget the first year with the [RBPT] power unit, and the guys have been doing an extraordinary job.

"We took the first penalty with Max this weekend... It was not planned. We had a small issue on Friday that forced us to do so, but it is what it is."

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