He is the team principal Red Bull sacked before Christian Horner, his exit left staff in a ‘complete state of shock’

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Red Bull’s shock decision that Christian Horner would be replaced as the team’s Formula 1 boss means that the team will head to the Belgian Grand Prix with just their third ever boss at the helm.

Laurent Mekies steps up to replace Horner, who is yet to clarify what his next Formula 1 move will be just weeks after his departure.

It’s a pressing time for Red Bull, with the 2026 F1 regulations around the corner, and rumours that Max Verstappen could join arch-rivals Mercedes.

However, they have come a long way over the last 20 years, and are heading into the new rules with the infrastructure and staff to be able to compete for the drivers’ championship from day one.

Horner’s ‘greatest power’ at Red Bull was being able to create a good working environment for his team. It was the basis of their success.

But as the years went by and his influence increased, Red Bull felt Horner was ‘too big for his boots’ and felt that replacing him was the only way forward. He’s just the second man they have ever replaced, after Tony Purnell lasted mere days in the job in 2005.

READ MORE: Christian Horner left F1 rivals ‘very upset’ after making unexpected 2024 personnel announcement

Tony Purnell’s exit after Red Bull hired Christian Horner left staff in a ‘complete state of shock’

Laurent Mekies has one major challenge to fix at Red Bull, but it’s not as big as the task Horner faced back in 2005, when he replaced Purnell.

The team had just been bought by Red Bull, after being known as Jaguar between 2000 and 2004. Purnell was promoted to a principal role in 2002 after the departure of Niki Lauda.

He kept them afloat and nursed them to their best-ever constructors’ championship finish of 7th in 2003 and 2004, but the team’s time was up by the end of 2004, as Red Bull completed their purchase in November.

On January 7, 2005, Horner was announced as Purnell’s replacement, despite ‘reassurances’ from then-owner Dietrich Mateschitz that he would continue to run the team.

It was a move which Autosport reports left staff within the team surprised. “There’s a complete state of shock in the organisation,” said a source close to Red Bull at the time.

Purnell found his way into Jaguar via a global electronics business that he owned, which they purchased in the late 1990s. Under his management, ‘Pi Research’ became part of Ford’s Premiere Performance Division at Jaguar.

That was his route into the team, and when major departures were announced in 2002, he was promoted to the top. When he left in early 2005, staff were upset. They didn’t know what sort of success awaited them.

READ MORE: He was touted as Red Bull’s next team principal, but Christian Horner ‘never’ let him do interviews

What happened to Tony Purnell after he left Red Bull in 2005?

Over the next two years, Purnell was linked to numerous vacancies on the grid until a decision on his future was made in December 2006.

He joined the FIA as a technical consultant and remained there until 2010, when he decided to tackle a completely different task.

He became part of IndyCar’s ICONIC committee, playing a role in choosing engine and chassis specifications for the 2012 season.

Since then, he hasn’t had much involvement with motorsport. It will always be a case of what could have been for him at Red Bull. Would they have become the force they are today with him at the helm?