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Laurent Mekies called Max Verstappen’s Sepang victory a milestone: Red Bull Ford Powertrains’ first win as a power-unit manufacturer in its debut season.
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Verstappen topped every qualifying segment and says he is confident in his choices for the race, while Hamilton expects overtaking to be difficult.
The Mercedes driver says even a stronger final lap might only have lifted him to second or third after a disrupted qualifying session.
After Verstappen’s pole, Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies credited recent development but warned that race pace and tyre wear remain Sunday’s test.
Red Bull took second and third in final practice at Sepang, prompting former F1 driver Anthony Davidson to describe the team as Mercedes’ biggest threat.
Kimi Antonelli led final practice at Sepang ahead of Max Verstappen, giving Mercedes an encouraging result before qualifying, though team-mate George Russell was fourth.
A bollard beside the pit-lane entrance has been moved ahead of third practice, with the aim of giving drivers who run wide a way back onto the circuit.
Red Bull’s team principal says a future need to make difficult calls between Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar would be a sign of strength.
With Formula 1 due back at Portimão in 2027, Verstappen says the current cars are ill-suited to circuits and questions the quality of battery-influenced overtaking.