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Mekies on Start as Red Bull Boss: 'Most Difficult Days'
One year into leading Red Bull Racing, Laurent Mekies explains how he stabilized the team and focused on speed following the shock departure of Christian Horner.
By Nadia van Leeuwen - 2026-07-09T14:40:01.000Z - 2 min read
Exactly one year ago, Laurent Mekies was abruptly put at the helm of the Red Bull Formula 1 team, immediately after Christian Horner was dismissed. Mekies calls this unexpected transition, with zero preparation time, the most challenging days of his career—not just for himself, but primarily due to the shock that the departure of a twenty-year team leader caused among the factory staff. The uncertainty he felt was, in his view, nothing compared to what they experienced.
However, Mekies was not instructed to completely turn things upside down or tear down existing structures. His main task was to protect the DNA of Red Bull Racing. He saw no need for drastic changes; talent was abundant. The priority was removing distractions and empowering team members so they could focus entirely on what they do best: making the car faster.
Mekies' management style clearly differs from that of his predecessor. He operates more in the background, spends less time in the media, and avoids paddock politics. This restraint stemmed partly from his internal team focus during his first year, but Mekies emphasizes that the leadership style matters less than the ability to get people performing at their best. External media 'noise' is also deliberately minimized to safeguard the team's concentration.
Despite the turbulent start and current competitive challenges—the RB22 is still winless this year—Mekies speaks openly about the setbacks. There was some concern over staff turnover, with names like Gianpiero Lambiase and Paul Monaghan leaving or being linked with other teams, but this remained limited. Mekies strongly believes in logical cause and effect and refuses to make excuses. He views the initial phase of the new power unit project and the new wind tunnel as pillars for future strength, pointing out that the team has already closed a significant portion of an initial one-second deficit. The goal remains unchanged: finding race-winning pace.
Even success is celebrated by Mekies in his own pragmatic fashion. A victory, he jokes, stands for a maximum of thirty minutes of joy: time for interviews and the podium, after which focus immediately shifts back to the next race. The fight never stops, because the competition is always right on their heels.