Purple Bull boss Laurent Mekies has confirmed his squad is “not in any hurry” to verify Max Verstappen’s team-mate for the 2026 Components 1 marketing campaign.
The four-time world champion’s present team-mate Yuki Tsunoda has struggled since changing Liam Lawson for spherical three of 2025 onwards, scoring simply seven factors leaving him 18th within the standings.
Tsunoda has due to this fact not been signed for subsequent yr but, nevertheless Purple Bull has lengthy had hassle with its second seat because the Japanese driver, Lawson, Sergio Perez, Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly have all struggled.
Purple Bull is thought to be fast on driver adjustments given its luxurious place of getting junior squad Racing Bulls additionally on the F1 grid.
However, having seen enchancment from Tsunoda throughout the final two rounds together with his greatest qualifying results of the yr for Purple Bull in Belgium with seventh, Mekies sees no cause for a right away change.
“The truth for us is that we’re not in any hurry,” Mekies, who turned Purple Bull’s F1 boss after Christian Horner’s departure in July, advised Canal+.
“We’re fortunate to have Yuki within the automotive; we now have Racing Bulls, which is working very nicely, and the place we will additionally consider our younger drivers.
Yuki Tsunoda, Purple Bull Racing, Laurent Mekies, Racing Bulls Group Principal
Photograph by: Kym Illman / Getty Photographs
“Yuki took an actual step ahead at Spa and likewise in Budapest when it comes to his deficit to with Max. It wasn’t very noticeable as a result of in Budapest we weren’t aggressive general.
“So we’ll see. Liam is making numerous progress at Racing Bulls, Isack [Hadjar] has been doing a rare job for the reason that begin of the season and retains stunning us at each race.
“Should you have a look at it from Purple Bull’s viewpoint, it is onerous to see why we’d be in a rush to make this determination.”
Mekies confirmed Purple Bull’s focus is due to this fact on the remainder of the 2025 marketing campaign, with the Austrian outfit fourth within the championship and 42 factors off third-placed Mercedes.
“We perceive the questions and the impatience surrounding this,” he added. “However for us, it is at the start about making an attempt to place our drivers in the very best place for the rest of the season and seeing the place we’re in a number of months’ time.
“There are nonetheless 10 races to go. Then we’ll make the very best determination with everybody concerned.”
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