Laurent Mekies on the 'Complete Reset' Required to Lead Red Bull After Horner

Laurent Mekies has revealed the profound mental shift required when he was abruptly promoted from Racing Bulls to become Red Bull's CEO and Team Principal mid-season, describing the transition as needing a "complete reset." Despite his arrival coinciding with a significant performance upturn that nearly delivered Max Verstappen the 2025 title, Mekies insists his personal impact on the car's speed was minimal, crediting the team's resilience and focus on "pure racing" for the remarkable turnaround.

Why it matters:

Mekies's sudden elevation to lead F1's reigning powerhouse, replacing the ousted Christian Horner after 20 years, represents one of the most dramatic in-season management changes in recent memory. His candid reflections shed light on the immense pressure and cultural adjustment required to helm a front-running team, highlighting the human and operational challenges behind Red Bull's fierce late-season title charge against McLaren.

The details:

• Mekies was promoted from Racing Bulls team boss after Red Bull GmbH removed Christian Horner following the British Grand Prix, thrusting him into the lead role at the championship-contending squad.
• He emphasizes that moving from the sister team required a conscious effort to avoid using Racing Bulls as a reference point, due to the vastly different scale and pressure of the projects.
• Internal Support: Mekies praised the Red Bull team for being "extremely welcoming, open-minded, and willing to share their approaches," which was crucial for his rapid integration.
• Ferrari Parallels: He noted that the experience felt more akin to his previous role as Ferrari's sporting director, given the similar size of the operation, the pressure of fighting at the front, and the integrated chassis-engine dynamic.
• Minimal Personal Impact: The Frenchman reiterated his firm belief that his involvement in the second half of 2025 had "no impact" on the car's performance, stating his primary job was to "protect the group" so the technical team could focus on making the car faster.

The big picture:

Mekies's leadership philosophy centers on fostering an environment for "difficult conversations" aimed solely at performance, not conflict. He describes a team with a "fantastic atmosphere" and a unified "fire to get that car faster," which was instrumental in unlocking the RB21's inconsistent performance. This late-season surge, turning Red Bull into a consistent threat, built crucial confidence and cohesion within the team after a challenging start to the year.

What's next:

The intense development race on the 2025 car, which continued while McLaren halted upgrades, came with an opportunity cost for the 2026 RB22 project. However, Mekies is convinced it was a necessary trade-off. The team prioritized understanding the root causes of the RB21's early-season struggles over "wishful thinking" for 2026, believing that mastering their current tools and processes is essential for future success. While this approach doesn't guarantee a faster car next year, Mekies believes it has solidified the team's operational confidence and unity heading into the new regulations.