After winning Singapore's Sprint and Grand Prix, Red Bull has no plans for more major 2026 car upgrades. In F1's October 12 interview, Mekies confirmed the annual program complete and development focused on 2027. Remaining races still support understanding, improvement and learning.
Successive wins do not change the major-upgrade plan
Verstappen took his first season win in Malaysia, then both poles and both victories in Singapore. Red Bull is seven points behind third-placed McLaren. Mekies felt it had winning pace over three recent rounds and won two, without treating that position as fixed.
Three different circuits build confidence elsewhere, but rival upgrades can change the order quickly. He noted McLaren and Mercedes had strong phases followed by difficulty, requiring renewed extraction of potential every weekend.
Drivers identify problems; engineers still need solutions
Mekies praised Verstappen's ability to identify limits and support chassis and power-unit development. Accurate feedback does not instantly create an engineering solution, and the team sometimes wishes it could find solutions faster.
Even after two poles and two wins, they discuss improvements directly. No more major upgrades does not mean no effort: remaining races serve this year's results and transferable experience for next year.
INKA SPORTS analysis: After upgrades, improvement remains a race
Major new parts cease to be the main route, leaving understanding, setup and execution. Rivals can still alter conditions through hardware. Wins establish current potential, not stable dominance across the remainder.
Verstappen's feedback belongs in that chain: identifying limits helps priorities, while design and validation take time. Mekies' praise and acknowledgment of delay distinguish diagnosis from realized performance. Different venues, specific team feedback and rival development should test remaining scope.
Conclusion
Red Bull enters the late season winning while shifting development to 2027. Using and understanding the existing car and transferring effective lessons remain the work. The team’s own execution and its rivals’ progress will both affect whether it can keep fighting for wins; Mekies does not see Singapore’s advantage as a guarantee at every remaining round.
