How Red Bull’s Austrian bosses feel about Laurent Mekies since replacing Christian Horner

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Laurent Mekies is almost three months into the job as team principal at Red Bull after replacing Christian Horner, and there is already a noticeable difference at the team.

Horner was sacked after the British GP, before being paid off £80m by Red Bull to leave the team for good in September. The real reason for his dismissal has never been revealed, but poor results and friction between key personnel are said to be factors.

It was reported that Max Verstappen had pushed for Horner’s sacking, but these were dismissed by his entourage. The pair have a close relationship after winning four titles together, with Verstappen sending private messages to Horner after his exit.

The 51-year-old lost key allies within the team as they regressed in performance. Verstappen warned Red Bull’s Thai bosses that they had to convince him that sacking Horner was the right decision; he was being heavily linked with Mercedes at the time.

Now that Verstappen has committed to Red Bull until at least 2026, they can begin to rebuild under Mekies. The Frenchman seems to have already turned things around, with two pole positions and two wins under his belt.

Red Bull’s Austrian bosses have ‘appreciated’ Laurent Mekies’ attitude since replacing Christian Horner

Verstappen claimed back-to-back wins at Monza and Baku, claiming pole in both. He finished second at the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday, putting him 63 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri.

Mekies has given Verstappen more freedom with car setup as he focuses on technical development and the Dutchman’s feedback. The approach has paid off handsomely as Red Bull are suddenly in the hunt for P2 in the constructors’ championship.

Asked about his way of working in Singapore, Mekies said via De Telegraaf: “We are not going to change our approach and will continue on this path. The fact that we were competitive here in Singapore, on a circuit where we drive with a lot of downforce, is good news.

“I expect McLaren to be very strong again in the next race in Austin. Everyone in the team has worked extremely hard to get more out of this car.

“You could say that the progress we have made in recent weeks has been quite spectacular. This is also largely thanks to Max. Thanks to his feel for the car, he has encouraged us to explore different avenues.”

Mekies’ approach has been to praise Verstappen for his work in helping to develop the RB21, rather than focusing on his own impact. According to the report, this is ‘appreciated by everyone at Red Bull’ and especially the team’s bosses in Austria.

They are looking for a team principal who stands up for his staff, does not take all the credit and ‘enables his leader to get the most out of the car’. It appears that Mekies is ticking all the boxes at Red Bull.

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

Laurent Mekies’ turnaround at Red Bull has worried McLaren

Verstappen and Helmut Marko think Mekies is ‘too modest’ about his impact at Red Bull. He reaffirmed in Singapore that his influence on the team is ‘zero’, instead focusing on the work of his star driver.

But the reality is that the Frenchman’s change of approach is starting to get the best out of Verstappen, who struggled to fight for consistent podiums at the start of 2025. Now, the four-time champion could be in the hunt for a fifth championship.

Verstappen has beaten Lando Norris and Piastri in the last three races. While he still has a mountain to climb in the last six races, McLaren are growing paranoid over Red Bull’s upturn in form.

McLaren ‘admitted’ they could have been quicker in Singapore, but had no explanation for their lack of pace. Verstappen and Red Bull may have caught up, applying more pressure on the team to secure the title as Norris and Piastri fight each other on track.