Martin Brundle Explains Why Christian Horner Wouldn't Return as Team Principal

Former F1 driver and Sky Sports F1 analyst Martin Brundle has offered insights into Laurent Mekies' leadership at Red Bull Racing and why Christian Horner likely wouldn't return to a team principal role. Mekies, who took over from Horner as Red Bull Racing CEO and Team Principal on July 9, 2025, has overseen a performance surge, with Red Bull securing 174 points in eight rounds under his tenure, compared to 172 points in the 12 rounds prior to Horner's exit. While multiple factors contribute to this improvement, Brundle commends Mekies' mature, ego-free approach.

Why it matters:

The shift in leadership style, favoring engineering backgrounds over traditional figureheads, marks a significant trend in Formula 1. Mekies' success highlights a potential new paradigm for team management, emphasizing technical collaboration and a less confrontational approach, which could redefine what it means to lead a top-tier F1 team in the modern era.

The Details:

• Mekies' Impact: Since Laurent Mekies took the helm, Red Bull Racing has shown a notable performance improvement, accumulating 174 points in eight rounds. This contrasts with the 172 points scored in the previous 12 rounds before Christian Horner's departure.
• Leadership Style: Brundle praises Mekies' "very mature way" and notes a complete lack of ego in his leadership, suggesting a new type of team principal is emerging in F1.
• Engineering Focus: Brundle believes that a team principal with an engineering background is now better suited to managing the highly specialized personnel within modern F1 teams. This allows for effective coordination and integration of technical expertise.
• Horner's Future: According to Brundle, Christian Horner "wouldn't want to come back as a team principal" due to this evolving leadership landscape.
• Collaborative Decision-Making: Brundle anticipates that major decisions, such as driver choice for 2026, will be more collaborative among Red Bull's senior leadership, including Helmut Marko.
• Industry Trend: This trend of appointing team principals with engineering or technical backgrounds is visible across the grid. Examples include Haas's Ayao Komatsu (former trackside engineering director), Sauber's Jonathan Wheatley (former Red Bull sporting director), and Racing Bulls' Alan Permane (from various technical roles at Alpine).

What's next:

The success of Mekies and other technically-minded team principals may solidify this shift in F1 leadership. As the sport becomes increasingly complex and data-driven, the emphasis on engineering acumen at the highest level is likely to continue, potentially making the traditional, more politically-oriented team principal a thing of the past. If this trend continues, Red Bull's future under Mekies could serve as a blueprint for other teams aiming for sustained success.