Laurent Mekies leads the Red Bull revolution: technical skill, humanity and ambition
Laurent Mekies took the reins at Red Bull after the unexpected departure of Christian Horner, bringing with him a technical, sincere, and human approach. The Frenchman has made his goal clear: to build the fastest car on the grid for Max Verstappen. With over 20 years of experience in Formula 1, Mekies faces the challenge with clarity and determination, fully aware of the weight of his role and the internal complexity of the team.
The story of Laurent Mekies
With his promotion to team principal at Red Bull, Laurent Mekies has arguably reached the pinnacle of his career — a moment to savor and reflect on. Yet, surprisingly, for Laurent Mekies there is only one focus: relentless effort, almost Sisyphean, to keep moving forward and upward.
“There is no such thing as having made it. You always feel like you’re surviving. You always feel like you should have done more yesterday, more a week ago. To improve next week, next month. You never feel like you’ve made it, never, never, never,” he said.
At Monza, Max Verstappen scored Red Bull’s first Grand Prix win under Laurent Mekies’ leadership, followed by another victory on the Baku street circuit. With over 20 years in the sport, one might wonder if Mekies ever allowed himself to feel satisfied.
“If you think you’ve made it, you feel that way on the night of the win. Then Monday morning, it’s over. When I go to the pit wall, every race weekend you feel privileged. You know you have the best seat. I’m excited. I can’t wait for the car to be ready. I’m like a child, sitting there with Max, I just want to see the car on track. You understand the contrast? You never feel like you’ve arrived, but you always feel privileged,” he explained.
The child who never imagined reaching F1 still looks through the eyes of the man.
“I was just a kid playing with toy cars and watching races with my father. The first race my parents took me to was in 1988, the French Grand Prix. It was in the middle of the Prost-Senna battle. You feel overwhelmed by the atmosphere, thinking it’s the most incredible sport in the world, yet it feels so far away. You don’t think you’ll ever enter a paddock, let alone work in Formula One.”
Ferrari hired him in 2018, and he became race director in 2021, before Red Bull recruited him back to their junior team, now known as Racing Bulls, as team principal in 2024.
There he witnessed the turbulence surrounding Red Bull that season. The controversy around Horner following allegations of inappropriate conduct by an employee — for which he was later cleared — was followed by the departure of key figures, including Adrian Newey. This, combined with a dip in car performance, a power struggle between Horner and Red Bull’s parent company, almost open hostility from Jos Verstappen, and fears of losing their four-time world champion, were all factors considered in Horner’s dismissal.
The relationship with the Verstappens
The Verstappens, their manager Raymond Vermeulen, and Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko remain a powerful faction within the team. Laurent Mekies faces a challenge with them, and he has offered a simple, yet necessarily diplomatic approach.
“I want to simplify the situation as much as possible. We’re here to design, develop, and produce the fastest car possible. When you do that, everything falls into place. So that’s what we focus on, not questions like: ‘Do I manage this… or that?’ Max is a fundamental resource on track and off it. He is part of the project, not judging from outside, but supporting it every day from within.”
In these first days, Laurent Mekies is already winning hearts and minds, earning praise from the world champion and Marko.
“What I like are the technical questions during the weekend, the return to the factory, the productive meetings. Everything seems to work well,” said Max Verstappen.
Max’s words reveal a lot about the Red Bull environment over the past year. The Austrian team needed a change that brought a fresh perspective and a less tense atmosphere, and this has been achieved with Laurent Mekies at the helm.
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