News Summary

Laurent Mekies tried to focus on the positives after Red Bull’s qualifying performance at Monza, but made it clear that the team cannot be satisfied with Max Verstappen starting fifth at the Italian GP.

Verstappen set a best lap of 1:22.070 in Q3 to qualify sixth, but moved up to fifth after Oscar Piastri received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Liam Lawson in Q2.

The four-time Formula 1 world champion will therefore start directly behind Pierre Gasly, George Russell, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, with Red Bull still looking for more performance from the RB22 if Verstappen is to fight at the front.

Mekies nevertheless highlighted the progress made throughout the weekend, particularly after a difficult Friday.

“We have mixed feelings after today’s qualifying. Of course, we can’t be happy with fifth place, but I think today’s pace represented an improvement from where we were on Friday,” Mekies said in Red Bull’s qualifying report.

“Max had a much better feeling with the car in FP3 this morning and, overall, we were closer to pole position than we have been in the last few races.”

The Frenchman pointed to the extremely small margins separating the leading cars at Monza. Verstappen ended up just 0.284s behind Gasly’s pole time, but that was only enough for sixth before Piastri’s penalty was applied.

“The field was really tight among the top six or seven cars, and today we finished at the back of that group, which is a little frustrating, but that’s part of the game when the differences are so small,” Mekies added.

Red Bull now has to find a way to close the gap to the cars ahead before Sunday’s race. With Monza offering several opportunities for overtaking, Mekies believes there is still room for Verstappen to recover positions.

“We have a few things we need to fix and improve for tomorrow so that we can be in the fight with the drivers ahead,” he said.

The situation is considerably more difficult for Liam Lawson. The New Zealander, who is replacing Isack Hadjar once again at Red Bull, was eliminated in Q2 after encountering traffic on his final flying lap.

Lawson had already been set to start from the back of the grid because of a series of power unit component changes. Red Bull therefore knew that his qualifying position would have little impact on his starting place.

“On Liam’s side, we knew we would have to take a grid penalty for the power unit change, and it’s a shame he didn’t make it into Q3 because of the traffic he encountered on his final lap,” Mekies said.

Despite the setback, the Red Bull boss praised Lawson’s performance throughout the weekend.

“Overall, Liam is doing a good job with us again this weekend, and I’m sure he will fight hard to make his way through the field tomorrow,” he concluded.

For Verstappen, the challenge will be to make progress from fifth and keep the Red Bull in contention against Mercedes, Ferrari and Gasly’s Alpine.

GRANDE PRÊMIO follows all the action from the Italian GP, the 13th round of the 2026 Formula 1 season.

FAQ

Where will Max Verstappen start the Italian GP?

Verstappen will start fifth at Monza. He originally qualified sixth with a 1:22.070 but gained one position after Oscar Piastri was handed a three-place grid penalty.

Why is Red Bull unhappy with Verstappen’s fifth place?

Laurent Mekies said Red Bull “can’t be happy” with the result because the team had hoped to be closer to the front. However, he acknowledged that the RB22 showed better pace on Saturday than it had during Friday’s running.

Where will Liam Lawson start the Italian GP?

Lawson will start from the back of the grid after Red Bull changed several power unit components, triggering a grid penalty. He was also eliminated in Q2 after encountering traffic on his final flying lap.