Mekis: History is being made before our eyes!

      Major upgrades to the car, including a new floor, that Red Bull Racing brought to the Italian Grand Prix in September allowed the team to turn things around. Of the four races since then Max Verstappen has won three and now has a real chance of a fifth championship title, although as recently as Zandvoort he was 104 points behind Oscar Piastri.

      Team principal Laurent Mekies effusively praises his leader and modestly credits the engineers who managed to make the RB21 the best car at the end of the season.

      Laurent Mekies: "Watching Max's victories, we see history being made before our eyes. He amazes us every time he goes out on track. He amazes us by how much he motivates us between sessions, by how sensitive he is to things that sometimes go unnoticed by us.

      We still avoid making predictions. At least in the engineering department. Back at base everyone is focused on getting the best possible results in the upcoming sessions.

      We are not calculating the chances for the title. Not even now. And we're not going to do that. This week we will be aiming for the best result in Mexico, thinking about what held us back in Austin. Whether McLaren is really that far behind, or whether they'll make up ground in Mexico — that's what we're thinking about. Of course, if you look at the run of results — second, first, first, second, first — that's an outstanding achievement.

      The win in Austin is a fantastic moment we can all be proud of, especially those you don't see, those who stayed at base, and we'll try to keep this streak going just as successfully."