Red Bull’s new boss Mekies reacts: ‘Frustrating to miss P3 for that"

"It was a bit tricky, and of course it's frustrating to lose third place to Charles by only a few thousandths of a second. But frankly, that lap was a bit more difficult than earlier in the session. In that context, the difference is actually larger — we’re in that window of two to three tenths. So I think that's roughly where we are right now. Let’s see if we can fight tomorrow." said Laurent Mekies.

Verstappen will start Sunday’s race from P4, meaning he’ll have to launch his fight from the second row — a significant challenge for the Dutchman. Strategically, however, Red Bull looked sharp in the Sprint earlier in the day.

"This morning worked very well. We were very aggressive with the setup, running very little downforce. It was a major risk, but Max did a great job keeping the McLarens under control until the end. But of course, as you know, there’s also a chance of rain tomorrow. The race will be longer, and we felt like we didn’t really get a race today — but we believe what we learned will help us tomorrow," said Mekies.