Laurent Mekies has shared an insight into how Red Bull can keep Max Verstappen onboard should the team face early struggles in 2026 as they begin manufacturing their own power units for the first time.<\/p>\n
At the recent launch of the squad\u2019s new livery <\/a>in Detroit \u2013 a city chosen as the host location due to it being known as the United States home of Ford, the squad\u2019s partner on Red Bull Ford Powertrains \u2013 Mekies<\/a> acknowledged that there may be \u201ca fair amount of headaches and sleepless nights\u201d<\/a> initially, adding: \u201cWe will eventually come out on top. Bear with us in the first few months.\u201d<\/p>\n As such, the Team Principal was quizzed during a discussion at the Autosport Business Exchange on whether the Milton Keynes-based outfit will be able to keep Verstappen<\/a> content should success not arrive in the first year of the project \u2013 to which he suggested that the Dutchman is \u201caware of the scale of the challenge\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we got that question pretty much every race last year!\u201d Mekies joked. \u201cI will expect us to get it also every race this year. But seriously, one of the many incredible things with Max is that he’s not sitting outside of the project, watching what we do and judging what we do.<\/p>\n \u201cHe is in the project. He takes the risk with us \u2013 he’s aware of the risk taking. He’s aware that we take risks, as do Ford. He\u2019s aware of the scale of the challenge. He lives and breathes motorsport, more than a large part of us.<\/p>\n \u201cHe is motorsport \u2013 he is day and night thinking motor racing. If it\u2019s not Formula 1, it\u2019s the GT3<\/a>; if it\u2019s not the GT3, it’s the virtual races \u2013 whatever he comes up with next.\u201d<\/p>\n Verstappen has previously admitted that, when considering his options for the future, there are \u201ca lot of things that have to come together\u201d<\/a> should he consider making a change, with the four-time World Champion stating that \u201cit’s not only about F1\u201d.<\/p>\n