Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko praised Laurent Mekies for his leadership of the team after their first grand prix victory under his command.
Mekies replaced Christian Horner as team principal four rounds earlier. Max Verstappen won the first race after he took over – the sprint race at Spa-Francorchamps – but the team’s Italian Grand Prix triumph was its first in a main event under Mekies.
“He brought a new approach to how we go to racing, and it obviously has its effects,” Marko told Viaplay after the race.
Verstappen took his fifth pole position of the season by less than a tenth of a second. But Red Bull’s performance margin in the race was even more impressive, as McLaren have tended to perform better over longer runs.
Although Verstappen lost the lead to Lando Norris early on, he was quickly able to re-pass the McLaren driver and pull out a six-second lead during his first stint. That gap expanded rapidly in the final stint as McLaren attempted to get on terms with Red Bull by making their pit stop late and switching to soft tyres, to no avail.
“It’s unbelievable,” said Marko. “I mean, 20 seconds ahead of the McLaren and dominating the race, [plus] fastest lap.”
The result marks a significant turnaround for the team which only managed ninth place in the final event before the summer break. Monza was also one of their weakest venues last year, where Verstappen only finished sixth.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
“Two races ago, Hungary, we looked really bad,” said Marko. “And now such domination.
“Also after last year where we had one of our worst races, now we feel really optimistic and looking forward.”
The result cuts Verstappen’s deficit in the driver’s championship to 94 points behind leader Oscar Piastri. Red Bull remain fourth in the constructors’ standings, 41 points behind Ferrari, despite having won three races to their rival’s none.
Miss nothing from RaceFans
Get a daily email with all our latest stories – and nothing else. No marketing, no ads. Sign up here:
