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Laurent Mekies is a ‘brilliant technical mind,’ but isn’t the shrewd politician that Christian Horner was for Red Bull, says Jolyon Palmer.
Horner was one of the most savvy operators within Formula 1, who managed to play the political game just as well as anyone during his stint with Red Bull.
While Toto Wolff was reportedly upset to see Horner replaced, he’s unlikely to miss their routine squabbles over the rules.
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Even Zak Brown has expressed his desire to see Horner return in the near future, as he manages to push every other team with his relentless approach.
However, if Christian Horner were still with Red Bull, he would have managed to undercut Mercedes’ and their dominance this season, according to Jolyon Palmer.
READ MORE: Juan Pablo Montoya says one F1 team now need Christian Horner even more than Aston Martin
Jolyon Palmer says Laurent Mekies isn’t the ‘political negotiator’ Christian Horner was
Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, Jolyon Palmer spoke about Red Bull struggling to come close to Mercedes and how Laurent Mekies is managing the situation.
Palmer suggested that Christian Horner would have done everything in his power to ensure Mercedes’ superiority over the other teams would have been nullified quickly.
“I think the political animal part is interesting for this time, with a lot going on in the background with various performance things, regulation talks.”
“If you had a Christian Horner at full tilt trying to slow down Mercedes, you would think that would carry some weight. I don’t think Laurent is that character. He’s a brilliant technical mind, but he is not the political negotiator that Christian was.”
There’s no denying that Horner knew how to get his way. While there’s no guarantee he would have managed to slow down Mercedes, he would have done his best to make things very difficult for them.
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Christian Horner could get F1 return wish soon as Aston Martin links continue
After Toto Wolff hijacked Christian Horner’s Alpine bid, there was concern that the former Red Bull CEO had lost his best path back to Formula 1.
However, it appears Horner is in contact with Lawrence Stroll, who is eager to bring him into Aston Martin as CEO, and can even offer him the equity that he wants.
While Adrian Newey is reportedly against Horner’s arrival, Stroll’s desire to see an experienced hand take the reins at Aston Martin could overrule any objection.
However, Horner could be set for another reunion at Aston Martin, as Jonathan Wheatley is expected to join Aston Martin as team principal.
The prospect of Horner, Wheatley, and Newey working together might excite fans, given their track record together at Red Bull.
But the trio would likely clash over their roles and power in the team, as Horner wouldn’t have the final say he did at Red Bull.
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