Here's the thing about Max Verstappen: even when he arrives on a weekend carrying the momentum of dominant victories in the previous two Grands Prix, he refuses to get ahead of himself. As the paddock gathers in Austin for the United States Grand Prix, the reigning force of the grid is keeping his feet firmly on the ground, warning that his recent winning form is no guarantee of success at COTA.
Laurent Mekies has just secured his future with the team, locked in as Red Bull's CEO and Team Principal until 2031. Having stepped up from Racing Bulls in 2025, Mekies guided the squad through a genuinely tough start under the new-for-2026 regulations, which brought the massive challenge of building their own engines alongside Ford. Recent progress has turned things around completely, prompting this massive extension.
We had two very hot and humid races and it seemed like also our engine was performing well in these kinds of conditions and now we go of course to a very dry race.
Speaking to the media on Thursday in Austin, Verstappen made his feelings on the leadership clear. "It's been great news I think for everyone," Verstappen said. "He fully deserves it as well, he's a very hard worker and I think at times this year of course it has not been easy for him as well, but he's a good leader and I think also the atmosphere in the team is great, so it's only right to extend the contract."
Yet, for all that positivity, Verstappen is acutely aware that the physical reality of the machine and the circuit is about to change. Those brilliant recent wins came through punishing, hot, and humid conditions in Malaysia and Singapore where the power unit hummed beautifully. Now, the team faces a very dry race at a completely different venue.
"We had two really good weekends, which of course we're very happy with but that is no guarantee that the coming races are going to be like that as well," Verstappen noted. "We had two very hot and humid races and it seemed like also our engine was performing well in these kinds of conditions and now we go of course to a very dry race."
Instead of chasing wild expectations, the mindset inside the garage remains fiercely pragmatic. There are fundamental limitations on the current car that simply cannot be fixed this season, meaning development eyes are already drifting toward next year. For now, it is a case of taking things step by step without any dreaming.
