Laurent Mekies has completely turned Red Bull’s season around since taking over from Christian Horner. After joining the team midway through 2025, the French engineer has managed to restore performance levels worthy of a championship contender, reversing the crisis that had seen Red Bull slip to fourth place in the Constructors’ standings. Mekies introduced a more balanced and cohesive approach, improving car development through targeted upgrades and a unified team structure. Former Formula 1 driver Johnny Herbert shared his thoughts on this transformation.
“A lot of this comes down to the fact that Red Bull is now listening more carefully to what Max Verstappen says,” Johnny Herbert explained to BettingLounge. “Previously, the work done by simulator drivers back at the Milton Keynes factory didn’t really suit Max’s driving style. So there’s definitely been a change. They are now applying more of what Max suggests, and that has clearly put them in a much stronger position.”
Herbert also pointed out the importance of the leadership change: “You can’t ignore what happened when Laurent Mekies replaced Christian Horner. It really seems like he has brought a great sense of harmony within the team. The whole atmosphere has changed, and that’s been a hugely positive thing, as we’ve seen in recent races. It’s not guaranteed that they’ll be competitive at every Grand Prix, but the latest performances prove that car is once again a major threat.”
According to Herbert, Red Bull’s resurgence will also shake up the balance of power on the grid. “They’re going to take points away from those two McLarens, and that will add even more pressure on McLaren and its drivers. They had the fastest car, but the recent turnaround in Red Bull’s form has ended up favoring the quickest driver on the grid — and for McLaren, that’s the worst-case scenario. The relationship between Laurent Mekies and Max is much closer than the one Verstappen had with Horner, which was often overshadowed by constant tension involving Jos Verstappen and a generally negative atmosphere.”
With Laurent Mekies now in charge, Red Bull appears to have rediscovered the unity and technical direction that once made it dominant. Whether this resurgence will be enough to challenge for wins consistently remains to be seen, but the dynamic between Laurent Mekies and Verstappen could prove decisive for the team’s long-term revival.
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