Mekies: Red Bull's 'Perfect Race' Couldn't Overcome 2-Point Title Deficit in Abu Dhabi
Despite Max Verstappen's dominant Abu Dhabi GP victory and flawless execution, Red Bull fell two points short of the 2025 constructors' title after Lando Norris secured third place. Team principal Laurent Mekies declared zero regrets, calling it a 'perfect race' while celebrating the team's improbable late-season resurgence from over 100 points down.
Max Verstappen executed a textbook Abu Dhabi Grand Prix—dominating from pole to checkered flag with masterful tire management—but Red Bull ultimately surrendered the 2025 constructors' championship by a razor-thin two points to McLaren. Team principal Laurent Mekies acknowledged Lando Norris' podium finish sealed the title mathematically, yet insisted his squad achieved everything within their control during Sunday's season finale.
Why it matters:
Red Bull's near-miraculous turnaround—from languishing over 100 points behind midseason to nearly snatching the title—represents one of F1's most dramatic late-season comebacks in decades. The psychological impact of competing for championships after such a deficit could define the team's trajectory heading into 2026, even in defeat.
The details:
- Verstappen controlled the race from start to finish at Yas Marina, a circuit where Red Bull hadn't anticipated dominance, executing flawless strategy with minimal tire degradation.
- Norris' third-place finish—secured despite Yuki Tsunoda's aggressive defense (which drew a five-second penalty)—proved decisive in the two-point championship margin.
- Unwavering confidence: Mekies dismissed any notion of strategic missteps: "We cannot control what's happening behind. I don't think we could have done anything better today."
- Historic context: The team's resurgence began after a disastrous midseason stretch where they trailed by triple-digit points—a deficit few believed surmountable.
- Emotional significance: Mekies emphasized pride in the Milton Keynes crew's resilience: "It's something you don't see every decade... pure racing spirit up until the last lap."
What's next:
While the championship slipped away, Red Bull's Abu Dhabi performance signals formidable potential for 2026. The team's ability to transform a seemingly lost season into a title fight demonstrates engineering agility that could unsettle rivals.
- Technical director Adrian Newey's final full-season influence (before his 2026 departure) appears evident in the late-season car upgrades that propelled the comeback.
- Verstappen's seamless adaptation to the evolving RB21 chassis suggests Red Bull has resolved earlier handling issues that plagued their 2025 campaign.
- With Honda's renewed power unit development cycle accelerating, the 2026-spec engine could compound their aerodynamic gains—making the two-point deficit feel like a temporary setback rather than a systemic failure.
Mekies' insistence that "two points short doesn't change how extraordinary this turnaround has been" captures Red Bull's mindset: This wasn't a season defined by what they lost, but by how far they clawed back. As the Milton Keynes factory shifts focus to 2026, that resilience may prove more valuable than the silverware they narrowly missed.