Red Bull focused on retaining Verstappen - Mekies

Mekies was team boss at Racing Bulls

Belgian Grand Prix

Venue: Spa Dates: 25-27 July Race start: 14:00 BST on Sunday

Coverage: Live commentary of practice and qualifying on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2 with race on BBC Radio 5 Live; live text updates on BBC Sport website and app

New Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies says his priority is to improve the car's performance to remove any doubts Max Verstappen has about staying with the team.

Verstappen is contracted until 2028 but has performance clauses in his contract that could allow him to leave. The Dutchman is being courted by Mercedes for next season.

"I'm sure Max wants a fast car and if we get him a fast car, I'm sure it's cancelling out all the other considerations," Mekies said.

"So really the focus is very much to try to get to know the team as quickly as possible in order to see how we can support, how we can build the next step of competitiveness in order to get a fast car and hence to make it an easy call for Max."

Mekies was appointed team principal and chief executive officer on 9 July after Red Bull released predecessor Christian Horner from his "operational duties".

Mekies said he had spent his first two weeks in charge trying to "start to understand the strengths and weaknesses to understand how will eventually be able to support".

"All I've been seeing in these two weeks is extraordinary balance, incredible racing spirit. These guys go on the edge on every single aspect," he added.

"There is not a single department where you see a bit of a feeling of laying back or resting. They really are at war in the good sense of the word, if I may say, in every single aspect."

Mekies' appointment comes after a tumultuous 18-month period at Red Bull that started with Horner being accused of sexual harassment and coercive controlling behaviour by a female employee.

Two internal investigations dismissed the allegations against Horner, who has always denied the claims.

This was followed by the departures of chief technical officer Adrian Newey and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley, and the resignation of head of strategy Will Courtenay, who has signed for McLaren but is being held to his contract by Red Bull for the time being.

"You do not see witnesses," Mekies said. "You see a lot of desire from everyone to get that Red Bull energy, to perhaps to reduce the noise outside, just to concentrate on racing. That's what you see and that's what we are going to try to do together."

Mekies said he had not experienced any negativity from Red Bull staff in the wake of the departure of their boss of 20 years.

"Everybody has been incredibly supportive," he said. "Willing to open the door, willing to speak, to listen, what were the limitations, what were the strengths, how do we go next about going back to the racetrack and fighting at an even higher level tomorrow? That's what I hope."

And he said Horner, who was instrumental in Mekies being take on for his previous role as boss of Red Bull's second team, had been "nothing else than supportive, which is very impressive in the context".

Wheatley, who was attending the same news conference as Mekies in his role as team principal of Sauber/Audi, said: "Laurent is an incredibly impressive person. He's been a friend of mine for a really long time and he has a wonderful way of managing people.

"The team principal's role is very much to motivate the team, to put the right people in the right positions and give them the best opportunities and the tools they need to do the job. I have no doubt whatsoever that Laurent is going to excel in that particular regard."