Verstappen's Malaysia win lifts Red Bull but Mekies warns Mercedes remain the benchmark

Max Verstappen delivered Red Bull’s first Formula 1 win of the 2026 season at the Malaysian Grand Prix in Kuala Lumpur, converting a dominant pole position into a comfortable victory in a delayed, mixed-weather race at the Sepang circuit. It was Verstappen’s 72nd grand prix win and the first for Red Bull as a power unit manufacturer under the current regulations.

The result caps a steady recovery for the Milton Keynes outfit, which began the campaign more than a second adrift of the frontrunners. A relentless sequence of upgrades has progressively closed that gap, with the final development package of the 2026 season arriving in Azerbaijan. That update gave Verstappen a genuine shot at victory in Baku — a circuit that has historically not suited the RB22 — only for George Russell to hold on for the win.

Team principal Laurent Mekies acknowledged that the Malaysian result may have been shaped by circuit-specific factors as much as raw pace. “We were surprised by the pecking order in Malaysia,” he said. “On one side, it’s confirming the positive trend now with Monza, with Madrid, with Baku. We have been adding a little bit of performance at every race, which is great. On the other side, are there other factors that have influenced what we have seen in Malaysia? Possibly, with the extreme heat and the track roughness and the layout of the track, I’m sure most of the cars out there were out of their ideal operating window.”

Mekies was careful not to overstate what the win means for Red Bull’s broader competitiveness. While the team is now the fourth constructor to win in 2026 — alongside Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren — he noted that Ferrari and McLaren have both drifted in and out of contention depending on conditions and circuit layout. Mercedes, by contrast, have maintained a more consistent presence at the front.

“It’s difficult to be on par with Mercedes consistently,” Mekies said, reflecting on the challenge facing every team in the field. “Does it change anything in the way we approach the next races? Not really. We will try to adapt as best as we can.”

Looking ahead, Mekies expressed cautious optimism about Singapore, a street circuit characterised by slow-speed corners that Red Bull believes could suit the RB22. Whether the team can replicate Malaysia’s dominant display or whether that result was partly a product of unique local conditions will become clearer over the coming rounds.