(Motorsport-Total.com) – Seven months ago, the dismissal of Red Bull team principal Christian Horner on the day after the British Grand Prix in July came as a surprise to many – not least to his successor Laurent Mekies. The 48-year-old Frenchman had until then contentedly managed the fortunes of sister team Racing Bulls, forming a strong partnership with CEO Peter Bayer.
Read more Verstappen laughs at doubters: «Thought the engine would blow up immediately»
But when the call comes from Red Bull Austria to lead one of the two most successful Formula 1 teams of the last two decades, it is simply an offer that cannot be refused.
Taking over the leadership of a 2,000-strong team in the middle of the season, encompassing both the chassis and engine departments, is no easy task even at the best of times. But continuing Horner’s massive legacy is a completely different ballgame – and Mekies accepted the challenge with patience and humility.
“In the first few days, I kept telling myself: take your time before forming an opinion,” Mekies told Motorsport.com Italy during the pre-season test in Bahrain. “Not just about the people, but also about the way things are approached here. I knew the picture would become clearer after a few months, and that’s exactly what happened.”
Mekies didn’t come to change the DNA
“Every day you feel a little more in control, simply because you know the people better and understand the dynamics a bit more. As I said, I made it my goal to understand the reality of Red Bull without looking at it through the filter of my past experiences, and tried to open my perspective as much as possible,” he says.
His verdict: “The team was fantastic. They had all gone through an epochal change, and yet I was welcomed in an incredible way.”
The current team principals of Formula 1
“After a few months, I realized that my job is certainly not to change the foundations of the team, but to protect its competitive DNA: here, everything is done to make the car faster. The rest hardly matters.”
Read more Hollywood meets F1: Keanu Reeves accompanies Cadillac to the first race
Speaking of experience: Mekies can draw on an impressive CV, which includes stints at Minardi, Toro Rosso, the FIA, and Ferrari, before returning to Faenza.
Team fought for the 2025 championship
What he found in Milton Keynes was a team that, viewed from the outside, seemed to be in a state of shock – struggling to get a grip on its performance problems while speculations about its leading star Max Verstappen and his future in the team were circulating.
Given the upcoming regulation change for 2026, including the challenge previously described by Mekies as “insane” of Red Bull producing its own power units, the temptation must have been great to write off 2025 and focus fully on the new era.
“It would have been easy to say: let’s focus on 2026,” Mekies nods. “All the conditions were there to turn the page and start from scratch. A new regulation, the first in-house engine, a new team principal, and further changes at the top.”
“Instead, exactly the opposite happened. No one, absolutely no one, wanted to give up. That is the racing spirit of this group. Everyone gave their all, and from Monza onwards, a different championship began. That’s why I say, to return to the original question, that my role is to protect these talents and provide them with the best possible working environment.”
Read more Marc Surer: «That bothers me terribly» about the new Formula 1!