Laurent Mekis: We are noticeably lagging behind the leaders.

      Before the start of qualifying, Laurent Mekies commented on the situation that the Red Bull Racing team found itself in at the beginning of the season. The results of Max Verstappen and Isaac Hajar in the third practice session in Suzuka speak for themselves – the drivers showed 8th and 11th times respectively.

      Laurent Mekies: "There is a lot of work ahead. As always, problems cannot be explained by a single reason, and we do not deny that we are noticeably behind the leaders in terms of speed.

      It is likely that this weekend we made things more difficult for ourselves, as we encountered additional challenges while trying to fully unlock the potential of the car. But I believe it would be wrong to consider this an excuse.

      We must use every session to understand what exactly is holding us back – that is how we intend to proceed in the process of fine-tuning the car. The season has just started, the speed differences are greater than last year, but there are also more potential opportunities for upgrades. I hope that gradually we will be able to reach the required level…

      In the process of overcoming difficulties, we are laying the foundation that will allow us to take the next steps, and everyone at the team base in Milton Keynes is currently working at maximum effort. No one is satisfied with the current situation; you will hardly see any happy faces there, but everyone is trying to push each other…"