Red Bull "surprised" by the lack of a penalty for Lando Norris

Dignified in defeat, Red Bull Racing is pleased with the second place achieved in the 2025 Drivers' Championship Formula 1 by Max VerstappenLooking back at where he came from, the four-time defending champion was still 100 points behind the overall leader just a few rounds ago. To miss out by two points is therefore nothing short of a miracle.

It is in this state of mind that Frenchman Laurent Mekies, who arrived at the head of the team mid-season, wishes to take stock of his first months in Milton Keynes.

“I am extremely proud of the team,” the Frenchman confided to the F1 microphone after the race in Abu Dhabi."It was a truly incredible comeback. We dominated today in a clean race, on a circuit where we didn't expect to dominate. It's proof of what the team and Max have managed to achieve, bringing a very fast car here. I'm very proud of all the work from everyone at Milton Keynes, to give us this victory but also a sensational comeback in the second half of the season."

While slipping in a few words for the new world champion: "Well done to Lando, it was a great battle, I hope it was great for the fans too to see the title still up for grabs in the last race. That's how it is, we'll fight even harder next year!"

The Red Bull boss has no regrets about the defeat when he looks at the details of the race, which he believes was ideally executed by his team.

"I don't think we could have done things differently," Mekies observes. It was a truly perfect race in terms of management, both by the team and by Max. From pole position on Saturday after a difficult Friday, he then led virtually from start to finish, while managing his tires admirably. I don't think he could have done it any differently. You can't control what happens behind you, so you look at what you can do, and I think we couldn't have done any better.

The absence of a penalty for Norris was a surprise for Red Bull.

He points out a racing incident that could have changed the game, prompting Laurent Mekies to wonder. Indeed, halfway through the race, Lando Norris exceeded Yuki tsunoda outside track limits, but obtained leniency from the stewards, who felt that the Japanese driver had forced him to cut across the white lines with all four wheels.

"It was a surprise (that Lando wasn't penalized), but the stewards have the most difficult job in the world in these situations," he adds again. We were surprised, but ultimately it didn't affect the championship result, so we stand by the victory and congratulate Lando on the title.

And to conclude: “It’s always very emotional in Abu Dhabi. The overriding feeling is that we were truly able to turn things around in a sensational way; it’s not something you see every year, or even every decade. I’m very proud and impressed by this team, which never gave up this season. We showed a real competitive spirit right up to the last round. We were two points short, but that doesn’t change how extraordinary this comeback is.”

ALSO READ > Lewis Hamilton worried about Isack Hadjar: "We all know what happens when you go to Red Bull"