After Lando Norris claimed pole position in qualifying, the Dutchman took control in the race, capitalizing on his rival’s mistake into Turn 1 to seize the lead — a position he never relinquished, managing his pace flawlessly all the way to the checkered flag.

"In terms of driving, what he does, I think he's as good or better than everything we have seen, there are many, many examples this year," Mekies said after the race.

The Frenchman also wanted to highlight the tremendous work done by the team in getting the RB21 back on track, which in turn allowed Verstappen to fully showcase his talent.

The team boss continued: "We know we suffered in the first part of the season. The guys have been doing an amazing job in managing to turn around the car, and now that he's able to fight again for the win, he does master class after master class. That's what it is.

Finally, he added: "You cannot imagine a more different situation in Qatar compared to Vegas. Now everything is the opposite of Vegas. So we will reset and try to nail the weekend again."

Thanks to the double disqualification of both McLarens, the Dutchman suddenly got a lot closer in the standings.

Verstappen is now level on points with Oscar Piastri, while Lando Norris still holds the upper hand in the championship with a 24-lead over both drivers.