Red Bull’s rocky start to the 2026 season has put team principal Laurent Mekies under increasing pressure, with reports suggesting he’s finding it tough to turn things around.
The 16 points they’ve picked up so far have them sitting in sixth place after races in Australia, China and Japan. That tally is only slightly better than their 2015 campaign, when they managed just 13 points from the first three rounds.
It’s not just the big teams ahead of them either. Haas have already claimed a P4 finish with their total of 18 points and Alpine are just behind after Pierre Gasly put together a run of strong results for his team.
In terms of results, Verstappen picked up Red Bull’s top finish so far this year with a P6 in Australia. Isack Hadjar also finished eighth in China, marking his best performance since stepping up from Racing Bulls.
Laurent Mekies facing tough task as Red Bull navigate early season struggles
Red Bull’s start to the new season is a stark departure from what they’ve come to expect, particularly after Mekies helped turn things around following his appointment last July. They finished 2025 with the fastest car on the grid as the ground-effect era wrapped up.
But the drop-off has been significant. Verstappen finished 2025 with six wins and 10 consecutive podiums, and that momentum hasn’t carried over into 2026. According to FormulaTecnica, there’s now talk of an early-season identity crisis within Red Bull.
Mekies is reportedly finding it difficult to manage this shift in atmosphere at Red Bull HQ. A lot of it traces back to issues with the RB22, which Verstappen didn’t hold back on criticising after qualifying P11 in Japan, calling the car “undriveable.”
Isack Hadjar said during the Japanese Grand Prix that morale inside Red Bull isn’t where it should be
Hadjar finished P12 at Suzuka and spoke openly about the team’s struggles, noting he was hopeful that updates might be on the way to address some of their issues by the time they reach Miami.
“It’s not good,” Hadjar told the F1 website in Japan. “But everyone has got their heads down to understand what’s going on. Hopefully, the next version of the car really makes an effect.”
There is already talk within Red Bull about whether to continue with their current car. According to reports, confidence in its potential has faded quickly after just three races, and financially, any further investment could take away from their 2027 development plans.
Mekies faces a crucial decision: whether to pour resources into upgrading the RB22, shift focus to a new B-spec version, or simply turn attention toward 2027. How he handles it will say a lot about his standing within the organisation.
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