Laurent Mekies has completed his first day as team principal for Red Bull. The Frenchman was informed this week that he would be succeeding the dismissed Christian Horner as head of the Austrian racing team. Mekies got straight to work, but not without first paying a small tribute to his predecessor and revealing his plan of action.
Newly appointed Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has now completed his first day on the job. The Frenchman was informed this week that he would be succeeding Christian Horner at the Austrian racing team. Mekies was able to get straight to work at Red Bull during a scheduled filming day at Silverstone, and spoke with the media present about his new role.
“It still feels strange to be here and not see Christian,” Mekies began his tribute to his predecessor. “It would be impossible to underestimate what Christian has achieved for this team that he led for twenty years. I met him twenty years ago when he was still the youngest team principal in Formula 1 history, and it’s incredible to see how he has elevated this team to the level it is at now. Christian is also the man who, along with Helmut (Marko) and Oliver (Mintzlaff), brought me back into the Red Bull family two years ago. My first thoughts today are truly with him.”New Red Bull team boss Laurent Mekies immediately sings the praises of all team members of the Austrian racing stable.
Approach to Leadership
After his brief tribute to Horner, Mekies gets down to business. How does the Frenchman hope to lead his new team? “The focus will really be on ensuring that all the talented people here have what they need to perform at their best. They are already the very best. We need to ensure that the Red Bull energy flows through the team.”
Red Bull currently ranks fourth in the constructors’ championship, having lost its dominant position in the field to McLaren last season. The racing stable is also on the verge of introducing their own power source in 2026 under the name Red Bull Powertrains. Mekies acknowledges that there are several major challenges ahead of him, but he wants to tackle these step by step. “The coming weeks will be about meeting as many of our people as possible, listening to them, trying to understand this beautiful magical machine that is Red Bull Formula 1, and ultimately finding ways to contribute and support,” concludes the new Red Bull team boss.
