Red Bull fans are all begging Laurent Mekies to do one thing with Yuki Tsunoda after replacing Christian Horner

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Racing Bulls team principal Laurent Mekies will step up to Red Bull after the sacking of Christian Horner.

The Frenchman will become only the second team principal in the Milton Keynes outfit’s F1 history. Red Bull parted company with Horner with immediate effect on Wednesday.

The 51-year-old leaves the team as they fall further away from McLaren in the standings. Red Bull’s ‘sources’ say their struggles caused Horner’s sacking, with them sitting 288 points adrift from the Woking rivals in fourth.

Max Verstappen pushed for Horner to be sacked as he is getting increasingly frustrated with the team’s lack of progress in 2025. With rumours linking Verstappen to Mercedes, it is now up to Mekies to steady the ship.

The 48-year-old joins the team from Racing Bulls at a critical stage as they edge closer towards being a works team under the 2026 F1 regulations. Optimism is low at Red Bull, with Verstappen 69 points behind Oscar Piastri in the drivers’ championship and Yuki Tsunoda desperately struggling in the second car.

Red Bull fans beg Laurent Mekies to help Yuki Tsunoda at Red Bull after replacing Christian Horner

The second RB21 has scored only seven points thus far in 2025. Liam Lawson lost total confidence in the car as he failed to score points in the opening two races before being dropped at the Japanese GP.

Tsunoda has suffered the same struggles, with regular Q1 exits and an alarming pace deficit to Verstappen. Mekies has worked hard to build Lawson’s confidence back up at Racing Bulls, and fans want to see him do the same with Tsunoda at Red Bull.

In the comments of Mekies’ leaving statement to Racing Bulls on Instagram, Red Bull fans pleaded with the Frenchman to address the Japanese driver’s desperate situation and help him find performance.

“Laurent, Yuki needs you. Thank you for stepping up,” said one fan. “Good luck with this new adventure, Laurent, please make a decent second car, Yuki deserves more,” wrote another, begging Mekies to fix the issues with the second car.

One user said: “Please save Yuki,” while another echoed: “Take care of Yuki pls.”

“Please come help rebuild Yuki’s confidence. he needs support,” wrote another as they pleaded with him to help Tsunoda as he did Lawson. Finally, one fan told Mekies: “Please take care of Yuki, I can’t stand watching Red Bull destroy him anymore, I know you care about him.”

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Laurent Mekies is just what Yuki Tsunoda needs to save his Formula 1 career

Tsunoda is at a critical stage in his F1 career as he faces the prospect of falling off the grid. The Japanese driver is out of contract at the end of the season, with it being increasingly unlikely that he will stay with Red Bull in 2026.

Sitting 17th in the standings with just 10 points, Tsunoda has an ‘almost 0%’ chance of staying on the grid next season. Isack Hadjar is being lined up as the next Red Bull driver, while Lawson and Arvid Lindblad are in contention for seats at Racing Bulls.

Tsunoda was matched by Lindblad during practice at Silverstone, highlighting just how alarming his situation is at Red Bull. The 25-year-old’s confidence is shot in the RB21 and is in desperate need of support.

Mekies could save Tsunoda’s career as he has confidence in the Japanese driver’s ability. He knows how to get the best out of him and could play a crucial role in him securing a contract for 2026.