Laurent Mekies confident F1 will make changes needed for Max Verstappen to stay

Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies is confident the FIA will implement the power unit changes required for Max Verstappen to stay heading into the 2027 Formula 1 campaign.

The four-time world champion has been a huge critic of F1’s contentious regulation overhaul for 2026, featuring a near-50:50 split between engine and electrical power.

But the FIA is trying to implement a 60-40 split for 2027, a change Verstappen agrees with, yet Audi, Ferrari and Honda are all believed to have voted against it - hoping to delay the move until 2028.

It has put the switch at jeopardy, given a supermajority amongst manufacturers is needed, and has caused Verstappen to reignite his threats to quit F1 amid his ongoing GT3 commitments.

Mekies reckons the power unit suppliers will eventually come together for the wider good, however, meaning Verstappen should go into the final year of his contract - 2028 - at Red Bull.

“I’m optimistic we’ll find the right solutions,” said the Frenchman. “So, I’m optimistic we’ll find a majority of people agreeing on improving the race.

“Because when it comes to what matters for the sport, I think at some stage we will all put on the side what we feel it may or may not do to our relative competitiveness to do a step in the right direction for the sport.

“I think ultimately we’ll get to that point.”

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images

The FIA plans to implement the switch by increasing the fuel flow and tank capacity, alongside reducing energy deployment, yet the hardware power unit changes come with financial obstacles.

But Mekies reckons “I don’t think the amount of investment is relevant compared to the size of the sport.

“So, I think, let me put it this way, we should fix it once for all and not have this as a recurring topic,” he added.

“We see a fantastic battle on the track. There is a lot of positive and a lot of great aspects with what we are seeing. I think there is a part that we want to improve and we should do it once for all.”