Max Verstappen "central to the project" as Red Bull admits it "needs his magic"

Red Bull's focus is on supplying Max Verstappen with a car capable of consistent wins once again

Red Bull team principal and CEO Laurent Mekies believes that the team needs Max Verstappen and "his magic at the racetrack." Amid reports of the Dutchman eyeing a move away from the team, Mekies explained that their focus is on supplying him with a capable car, adding that "Max is central to the project."

"You know, the truth is Red Bull is hugely committed to Max," he told F1.com. "And the way we can be hugely committed to Max is by giving him the best possible car, and giving him the best possible car is what every single person in the company wants more than anything else.

"So that's where the effort is made, really. And the rest will be a consequence.

"But of course, Max is central to the project. We need his magic at the racetrack. And he has been with the team for a very long time. And he has huge inputs in helping us driving. So it's the next competitive edge that we will need to build."

The four-time champion has scored 165 points out of Red Bull's 172 total as team-mate Yuki Tsunoda and, previously Liam Lawson, have struggled to manage the seemingly unruly RB21 this season.

Discussing the car with F1.com, Jenson Button described Verstappen's driving as "unbelievable" despite a "difficult car".

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

"If Max has one bad race, like he did in Austria, that’s a lot of points for him to make up in a car that is not as good as the McLaren. You’d have to say it’s a two-horse race at the moment, but Max has had it his way for a few years, and what he’s doing with that car is just unbelievable.

"When you put so many drivers in the same car and they are nowhere near him it proves what a talent he is, and what he’s able to do with a difficult car."

Trailing championship leader Oscar Piastri by 69 points, Verstappen's management of the RB21 has been monumental in maintaining his position in the standings, where he sits third. But he still cannot mask the shortcomings of the car.

On top of this, questions regarding Red Bull's success in building its own powertrain for 2026 and confirmed discussions with Toto Wolff have further fuelled speculation about his future amid rumours of him eyeing a seat at Mercedes. This is something Mekies is keen to address.

"You know, in terms of priority, I'm sure Max wants a fast car, and if we get him a fast car, I'm sure it's cancelling out all the other considerations," Mekies said in Friday's press conference.

"So really, the focus is very much to, as we said earlier, try to get to know the team as quickly as possible, in order to see how we can support, how we can build the next, to make it an easy call for Max."