Red Bull share 'wish' over Max Verstappen demands: 'His input is massive'

Laurent Mekies has praised the "massive input" Max Verstappen provides to Red Bull's development process, whilst admitting the team cannot always move as fast as its four-time F1 drivers' champion would like.

The Red Bull team principal's comments come after a dramatic turnaround in the RB22's competitiveness, culminating in back-to-back victories for Verstappen in Sepang and Singapore.

Red Bull began the current campaign as much as 1.5 seconds off the pace, hampered by chassis setup limitations and early aerodynamic shortcomings on the RB22.

Verstappen himself said after the season-opener in Australia that the deficit was split evenly between the chassis and the new Red Bull-Ford power unit.

The Dutchman had repeatedly flagged handling imbalances and unpredictable platform shifts that undermined his confidence on corner entry, along with problems managing bumps and kerbs, issues he again raised around the Hungarian Grand Prix when balance inconsistencies were hurting his long-run pace.

Matters shifted significantly with a comprehensive upgrade introduced at the Baku City Circuit, featuring a reworked floor, revised diffuser channelling, reshaped sidepods and new engine cover surfacing.

The package targeted the car's awkward trade-off between low-speed mechanical grip and high-speed stability, and it has since helped carry Verstappen to victories in Malaysia and Singapore.

Verstappen's 'technical sensitivities' are a 'massive help' for Red Bull

Asked about Verstappen's role in shaping that development direction, Mekies did not downplay his significance.

"His input is massive," the Frenchman told media, including RacingNews365. "You are absolutely right in saying that his technical sensitivities are outstanding.

"Probably without any equivalent, and therefore, yes, he does [have active influence on the recent progress].

"He has that capability to pinpoint what is limiting performance. Unfortunately for us, it doesn't mean that we have a fix for it when it tells us what the problem is.

"But at least it tells us what the problem is, and it's a massive help for the team."

Mekies explained that the relationship between Verstappen and his engineers hinges on honesty, even when it is not always comfortable.

"We do it in a way where we are always very direct and transparent with each other and constructive, even if it comes with emotion sometimes," Mekies said.

"And it's a massive boost for the chassis development and a massive boost for the power unit development.

"We wish we could provide solutions faster sometimes, but it's part of the game."