Laurent Mekies names his dream F1 driver line-up from history with Max Verstappen not featuring

Follow us on Google Discover

Red Bull Racing team principal Laurent Mekies has the benefit of working with arguably the fastest driver on the Formula 1 grid right now.

Max Verstappen is still currently in title contention, but needs a lot of things to go his way if he wants to win a fifth consecutive drivers’ championship.

Red Bull have made steps forward since Laurent Mekies took over as team principal, especially considering that after finishing ninth in Hungary, Verstappen ruled out winning another race in 2025.

Victories at Monza, Baku and Austin followed, but with 49 points to make up to Lando Norris with three races remaining, Verstappen very much has his work cut out.

Verstappen is widely considered one of the greatest drivers in F1 history, but Mekies has chosen two stars of the past that would make up his dream line-up.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Red Bull team principal and CEO Laurent Mekies

Laurent Mekies names Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna as his dream Formula 1 line-up

Mekies was asked on the Talking Bull Podcast what his dream driver line-up from history would be.

After previously speaking about his admiration for Ayrton Senna, he said: “I tell you what, Michael.

“Michael, again, besides the obvious and what has been achieved on the track, having been for many years at Ferrari just after Michael’s time, you can measure how deep the imprinting from his years was.

“Not only for the sport, but for the Scuderia and certainly, he would be one [driver] to put [in] there.”

Mekies joined Ferrari in 2018 after spending four years in his role as safety director for the FIA.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t help the Scuderia replicate the success they enjoyed after Michael Schumacher.

However, Mekies will be hoping to take the best parts of working at Ferrari with him to Red Bull, although Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel have delivered far more success to the Anglo-Austrian team than the Scuderia have enjoyed since Schumacher’s exit.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about F1 legend Michael Schumacher from net worth to career stats

Lewis Hamilton wants to copy Laurent Mekies approach at Ferrari

Mekies has put more emphasis on Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda being in control of their set-up throughout a race weekend since taking over from Christian Horner.

Verstappen was instrumental in his set-up at Monza, earning a victory over both McLaren, which few believed would be possible.

However, that has backfired at times, with Tsunoda’s Sprint Race run at Interlagos leading to a double Q1 exit at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Ferrari are having a very frustrating campaign, and despite the fact that they’re still in contention to finish second in the constructors’ championship this year, they haven’t won a Grand Prix in 2025.

Lewis Hamilton wants Ferrari to follow in Red Bull’s footsteps and listen to his and Charles Leclerc’s feedback more than they currently do.

That might be easier said than done, knowing how set in their ways Ferrari can be when it comes to certain decisions.

However, Ferrari wouldn’t have ignored Schumacher if he had something to say, and team principal Fred Vasseur would do well to potentially give Hamilton and Leclerc more influence when it comes to the manufacturer’s direction.