Laurent Mekies reflects on the moment he was offered the opportunity to succeed the recently dismissed Christian Horner. The Frenchman was surprised by the call from Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko and director Oliver Mintzlaff, and even had to think for a while before accepting his new position. Mekies is now more familiar with the racing team and reveals how he plans to reinvigorate the ‘Red Bull energy’ within the team.
Laurent Mekies has embarked on his first race weekend as Red Bull team boss. The Frenchman was unexpectedly promoted at the beginning of July following the sudden departure of his predecessor, Christian Horner. The call came ‘out of the blue’ for the former Racing Bulls team boss himself. Mekies was offered the chance to take over from Horner a few hours before the news was made public. The Frenchman had to think about it for ‘a few more hours’, but ultimately considered it an honor.
Identifying Weaknesses
Mekies immediately set to work the same week with the important task of returning Red Bull to the top. The once dominant team is now fourth in the constructors’ championship and is also at risk of losing the drivers’ title for Max Verstappen to one of the McLaren drivers. However, Mekies is still unsure where things went wrong at Red Bull. “You don’t see any weaknesses,” the team boss said in his first press conference at Spa. “You see a lot of desire from everyone to get that Red Bull energy back and to reduce the noise from outside, to refocus on racing. That’s what we’re going to try to do together.”
The Frenchman is impressed by the abundance of talent within his new team. “There isn’t a single department where you see even a hint of complacency or rest,” Mekies continues. “They are truly fighting. So what we’re really going to try to do is ensure that all these women and men have everything they need to express themselves optimally, that they are supported, that they have all the resources they need to showcase their talent. Season after season, they have already shown that they are the best in the world, or if they are not, they are very close.”
2026
Mekies not only has the daunting task of getting to know Red Bull quickly and adapting to his new role, but also the significant regulatory changes of 2026 are looming. “Normally, we don’t like such a huge transition in Formula 1. Red Bull has already had two incredible eras of success in F1,” he acknowledges. “I think the next successful era will be dictated by the change in regulations for next year and the great decisions to go with Ford for our own power source.”