New Red Bull Racing team principal Laurent Mekies has made his debut with the team after the surprising Christian Horner sack.
Mekies’ first official day with the team saw him join Silverstone for a RB21 filming day.
Laurent Mekies officially joins Red Bull as CEO after Christian Horner sack
The F1 world was taken by storm on Wednesday, 9 July when news emerged that longtime Red Bull Racing CEO and team principal Christian Horner had been fired, with immediate effect.
Horner has helmed the team since it made its debut in the sport, which made this decision particularly surprising — but the team has been struggling to find its footing since the midway point of 2024, during which time it was overtaken on track by the likes of McLaren and Ferrari.
Though driver Max Verstappen did take the World Championship in 2024, Red Bull had clearly forfeited its status as title favourite heading into the F1 2025 season, where the team’s challenging RB21 has proven a handful for the drivers.
Horner has been replaced by Laurent Mekies, a French engineer who was promoted from his role as team principal of sister team Racing Bulls.
Understanding the Christian Horner sack:
👉 Why has Christian Horner been sacked by Red Bull?
👉 The hidden details in Christian Horner’s final media session as Red Bull F1 boss
Just one day after the shocking Horner news, Mekies made his debut with the Red Bull Racing team at Silverstone Circuit, where he joined the team during a planned filming day with the RB21.
“I look at this team as most outside look at them, we see the very best people in the world at what they do,” Mekies said during that first outing with the team.
“That’s what this team is, even from being a competitor previously you look at Red Bull Racing as being the sharpest team, having managed to accumulate the best talent to work together.
“It is a privilege to join the team, and the focus will be on making sure all the talented people here have what they need to perform at their best, because they are already the very best.
“We will be focussing on that and making sure the Red Bull energy is flowing through the team. We are not underestimating the challenge ahead; we will need everybody and we will go about it together, and I am sure with everyone’s contributions we will tackle this challenge.”
In an interview published by the team, Mekies admitted that “it still feels a bit unreal” to be in the Red Bull garage and not see Christian Horner.
“It will be impossible to underestimate the size of the achievement that this team has had under 20 years of Christian’s leadership.
“I met him 20 years ago when he was the youngest team principal in Formula 1, and it’s unbelievable to see how he has turned this place to the level at which it is at now, and it’s a journey with many, many titles and wins.”
Mekies credited Horner with being one of the men who convinced him to return to the Red Bull family back in 2023, where he would take over as team principal of Racing Bulls.
He continued by speaking to the overall Red Bull family, saying, “Red Bull is one of the most incredible companies on the planet. You have a crazy combination here where, in Red Bull Racing, you have the most talented people; they are the best at what they do in the world.
“And this entity is part of the Red Bull Group with one of the most incredible companies on the planet. It’s energy adding energy; it’s also a lot in the Red Bull spirit and the Red Bull DNA in the way we go about things — with a smile, with high risk taking.
“But we do not forget we are having the best job in the world, and we go about it with the utmost desire to win but also with the smile and energy at Red Bull.”
As for his next steps as CEO and team principal, Mekies is keeping it simple.
“There is only one next step: what you cannot wait to do, is meet the people,” he said.
“It’s been not even a day now, so I can’t wait to meet as many people as possible from this incredible team. You want to discover the magic; you want to meet the guys and the girls doing the magic behind the scenes.
“And that’s what the next few weeks will be dedicated to, to meet as many of our people as possible, to listen to them, to try to understand this beautiful, magic machine that is Red Bull Formula One, and eventually find ways to contribute to this sport.”
Mekies’ first race as team principal will come at the end of the month, the Belgian Grand Prix.
Read next: Why Christian Horner? Why now? Shock exit may not guarantee Max Verstappen
