Another key pillar behind Red Bull’s performance this season has been the consistency of the man behind the wheel. Max Verstappen himself believes he delivered the best season of his Formula 1 career to date, underlined by the fact that he stood on the podium at every race weekend after the summer break, despite narrowly missing out on the world title by just two points.

Speaking after the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Red Bull Racing boss Laurent Mekies admitted Verstappen has exceeded even his high expectations since joining the Milton Keynes-based team after this year's British Grand Prix.

“As much as we have spent, all of us, too many years in Formula 1 and have seen Max getting unbelievable achievements, all I can tell you is that when you get the chance to work on his side of the paddock, you still get blown away,” Mekies said, as quoted by Autosport.

According to the Frenchman, Verstappen’s true strength is often hidden from public view.

Obviously you guys hear a lot of what is said over the radio, but you don't hear everything. The quality of his technical feedback and the level of sensitivity that he has in the car is very impressive. We used to have this joke inside the team where we'd just say that he's the best sensor we have in the car. Arguably also the most expensive, but that's another question,” Mekies explained.

That depth of understanding has been especially important during a demanding 2025 season, where Red Bull faced stronger opposition and had to extract maximum performance through fine margins rather than outright dominance. Verstappen’s ability to consistently guide development and execution proved decisive across the second half of the year.

Mekies also pointed to Verstappen’s broader racing mindset, which has been reinforced by his continued interest in GT3 machinery alongside his Formula 1 duties. While his focus remains firmly on F1, the experience gained from GT racing further sharpens his feel for car behaviour and balance – qualities Mekies believes translate directly into his exceptional technical input at the highest level.