Zak Brown welcomes Mekies’ appointment at Red Bull, slams Horner for political games and frivolous claims. Zak Brown praises Laurent Mekies’ arrival as Red Bull boss.

Red Bull looks ahead
With the recent decision to dismiss Christian Horner from his dual role as Chief Executive Officer and Team Principal of Red Bull Racing, the team’s ownership has made a clear move to strip the organisation of the internal disputes, constant rumours, and prolonged controversies that have dominated headlines and the Formula 1 paddock over the past two years. Oliver Mintzlaff, who oversees Red Bull’s broader operations, aimed to remove any possible excuses within the team structure and push the squad to focus entirely on on-track performance and the pursuit of improved results. This shift comes in response to what has been considered a markedly disappointing first half of the 2025 Formula 1 season for the Milton Keynes-based outfit.

In Horner’s place, Red Bull has appointed Laurent Mekies. The Frenchman, formerly involved with Scuderia Ferrari and AlphaTauri, is expected to dedicate far less time to political manoeuvring than his predecessor, instead directing his attention primarily towards operational efficiency, strategic decisions during race weekends, and overall performance on the circuit.

Without Horner, Zak Brown celebrates
In a recent interview granted to British newspaper The Telegraph, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown made no secret of his satisfaction at the leadership change within Red Bull Racing. He expressed his positive view of the appointment, stating that he appreciates Laurent Mekies and considers the move beneficial for Formula 1. Brown emphasised that this could allow teams to shift the spotlight back to pure sporting competition: according to him, while political elements will always exist in this sport, working with Mekies is likely to foster a healthier and more straightforward atmosphere in the paddock.

The American executive’s comments clearly contained a pointed reference to his long-time rival, Christian Horner. Brown noted that Red Bull’s approach under Horner’s leadership often pushed political actions too far. He acknowledged that disputes and polemics are an inherent part of Formula 1, yet warned that they become excessive when accusations turn into what he described as frivolous claims. By contrast, Brown said that looking around the pit lane today, the political battles between teams remain intense but no longer cross the boundaries that he believes were exceeded in the past.

Brown went on to underline that the leadership change at Red Bull represents a positive transformation for the competitive environment in Formula 1. He remarked that there is now greater mutual trust among key figures in the sport. In his view, when confidential matters are discussed between teams or officials, there is no longer the concern that such information could be later used as a political weapon to gain leverage against competitors — a practice he implied had occurred in the previous era.