How Christian Horner ‘loyalists’ have reacted to Laurent Mekies’ Red Bull takeover after recent success

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Red Bull are currently on course to complete one of the most heroic turnarounds in Formula 1 history with five races to go.

Somehow, they have caught McLaren, despite having the fourth fastest car on the grid just a few months ago, and the drivers’ championship is within reach once more. Laurent Mekies’ arrival as team principal signalled a changing of the guard, but any pessimism has been removed by now.

Since taking the reins of Red Bull over from long-serving boss Christian Horner, the team’s transformation has been visible. Operationally, they are smoother, and upgrades introduced to the RB21 have made a real change for Max Verstappen.

The F1 paddock thinks Verstappen is favourite for the title, but he still trails Oscar Piastri by a mammoth 40 points. Despite their improved pace, Jonathan Wheatley thinks Red Bull are kicking themselves for not finding a way to go faster, even sooner. It might feel like a missed opportunity.

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Christian Horner ‘loyalists’ are delighted with Laurent Mekies since Red Bull takeover

McLaren already see Verstappen as a problem, and a version of him that isn’t under any pressure in the title fight is dangerous. He’s not the one who held a 104-point lead, and there isn’t any expectation on him to complete the greatest turnaround in the championship’s history.

A few weeks after they started winning again, the paddock knows why Red Bull have made progress, and it’s an encouraging sign heading into the 2026 F1 regulations. The momentum they are building should also be advantageous.

Speaking about the mood in the factory since Mekies was hired, Sky Sports F1’s David Croft has revealed how those who were loyal to Christian Horner have already warmed to their new boss.

“I think what he has done really, really well for me is he has stepped in, in a very tricky situation, where Christian, for 20 years, has been the leader of that team,” he said.

“Within the factory, people were very loyal to Christian Horner and were visibly upset on the day that Christian was let go. A lot of people were telling Craig Slater and myself that day, ‘We owe our livelihoods to Christian Horner. He has built this place up, and we pay our mortgages because of that man’s efforts.’

“Laurent has come in and has managed to win over the factory very, very quickly. Those Christian Horner loyalists, while still being loyal to Christian Horner, have absolutely got behind Laurent and his vision, and his management style.”

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Why Laurent Mekies was the perfect appointment to be Red Bull’s new team principal

With one eye on 2026, Red Bull now have a leader who is best-placed to make sure they perform well on track.

While a lot of Horner’s expertise was on the marketing side of things, after stints with the FIA, Ferrari, and Racing Bulls in recent years, Mekies’ strengths lie firmly within the engineering departments.

That means when the team introduces their own engine for the first time next year, he should be on hand to make sure it hits the ground running.

McLaren still have an ace card against Verstappen to use in 2025, but everyone is starting from square one again in January. There might even be some surprises.