14 hours Ago
What Went Wrong in Monaco
Verstappen had qualified an impressive second on Saturday, making his Sunday retirement all the more frustrating. The problem struck before the race had even properly begun. As the formation lap got underway, the engine issue took hold, and when the lights went out, Verstappen simply could not move. The entire field swept past him, and he eventually guided his car into the pits at the end of the opening lap.
Mekies was open about the situation, noting that the engine in question was actually Verstappen's first power unit of the season and had already been scheduled for replacement following Monaco. "It was an engine problem," he said. "The problem arose during the formation lap, leaving Max and the team with no opportunity to do anything about it." He also offered a personal apology to Verstappen, calling the work the driver had put in over the weekend truly exceptional.
The Race Result and What Could Have Been
With Verstappen out of the picture, Monaco turned chaotic. Kimi Antonelli took the victory, Lewis Hamilton crossed the line second, and Isack Hadjar gave Red Bull something to smile about with a third-place finish.
Mekies admitted it was hard not to wonder what might have been. Looking at how Verstappen had performed throughout qualifying — not just his final Q3 lap, but the way he consistently found more pace from Q2 onward — there was genuine belief he had the speed to challenge Antonelli. "Something special always happens as soon as we get Max really comfortable in the car," Mekies said. "Then you see that extra bit of magic he is known for."
The silver lining is that a new engine was coming regardless. Verstappen will race with fresh power next weekend at the Barcelona Grand Prix, where Red Bull will be hoping for a much cleaner run.
