After the dismissal of Christian Horner, Laurent Mekies faces the task of leading Red Bull Racing. Although the context and timing are very different, his promotion fits a wider trend in Formula 1. Mekies comes from an engineering background, unlike Horner, who led the team for the past 20 years. It reflects the broader shift in Formula 1 where engineers are increasingly stepping into team principal roles - including Andrea Stella at McLaren, James Vowles at Williams and Ayao Komatsu at Haas.
While those examples have so far proven successful, the situation at Red Bull is very different. No miracles should be expected from Mekies in his first months, as Red Bull’s problems go far beyond the team boss role. The car remains the biggest issue for Max Verstappen - and aside from updates in both Spa and Budapest, it will largely remain the same for the remainder of this year. For 2026, much will depend on the in-house engine project, making Mekies’ task one for the long haul: building toward a third era of success for the team, just as Horner himself explained during his final FIA press conference as Red Bull boss.
