Red Bull insider shares how Laurent Mekies stood out from ‘day one’ after replacing Christian Horner

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Laurent Mekies was able to bring Red Bull back to winning ways after taking over from Christian Horner in July. Red Bull ambassador Calum Nicholas has revealed how the Frenchman stood out from his very first day at the team’s Milton Keynes factory.

Christian Horner’s dismissal from Red Bull Racing came at a point in time when the Austrian constructor was falling down the F1 pecking order after such a dominant period of success.

The move stunned the world of motorsports. The British executive had spent 20 years as the head of the Milton Keynes-based F1 team, winning eight drivers’ titles and six constructors’ championships in the process.

Laurent Mekies was swiftly announced as the successor to Horner, and the Frenchman has managed to lead the team back into race-winning contention as Max Verstappen’s title hopes remain afloat.

READ MORE: Laurent Mekies is realising Christian Horner was right all along about how to beat McLaren

Calum Nicholas shares how Laurent Mekies ‘stood out’ from Christian Horner on his first day at Red Bull

In an appearance on the Inside Track podcast, former Red Bull mechanic turned ambassador for the Austrian constructor, Calum Nicholas, was asked about how Mekies’ approach to management differs from that of his predecessor.

He replied, “We filmed a podcast together not too long ago, and one of the things that stood out to me about Laurent is just that it’s very rare to find somebody who has this innate engineering knowledge and know-how.

“Like this person who knows a lot of the technical side of the sport but is also an incredible people person. That’s something that stood out to me about Laurent from day one, as a people person, he’s brilliant.

“I think that was perfect for what we needed at the time. It’s hard to say how that differs because, as I said, those relationships that Laurent has with other senior management are not ones that I’m involved in, right?

“So, I don’t want to speculate on it, but it certainly stood out to me in my time with Laurent that it seems very rare and we’re very lucky to have somebody who does have this technical knowledge and can help lead design and engineering teams, but also is an excellent communicator.

“And as well as that, he’s really warm and really approachable, and that fits with the ethos of the team really well. So, I think it’s exciting going forward.”

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

Despite the recent resurgence, Laurent Mekies may have made one decision at Red Bull that makes ‘no sense’

One of the crucial factors behind Red Bull’s recent resurgence in the second half of the current campaign has been the fact that they have continued to upgrade the RB21.

The current race weekend in Las Vegas has seen Red Bull bring yet another new development to the table, with the RB21 receiving revised front wing flaps that feature reduced cambers and chords.

Their decision to continue to allocate time and resources to their current F1 car is somewhat of a puzzling one, given the fact that the rest of the grid have already switched their focus to the upcoming regulations reset that will take effect in 2026.

With his team languishing at the bottom of the constructors’ standings, Alpine chief Steve Nielsen highlighted how nonsensical it is for F1 teams to still be occupied on improving their current challenger.

The Milton Keynes-based team are in real danger of jeopardising their results next season, and could ultimately see Verstappen depart from the team if he isn’t happy with the tools he will be equipped with.