Red Bull has officially stated that Laurent Mekies, the new team principal, will have significantly reduced duties compared to his predecessor, Christian Horner. Mekies, a Frenchman, has taken over the leadership role at the Formula 1 team following the recent announcement of Horner’s departure by the main Red Bull company.
Although no public reasons have been disclosed by either the team or its parent company for the sudden change in management, long-time adviser Helmut Marko has now confirmed that various factors, particularly the team’s performance decline, influenced the decision.
The decision to replace Horner was made by Oliver Mintzlaff, the chief executive of Red Bull corporate projects, according to Marko. Horner was informed of this decision in London after the Silverstone race, where he was also thanked for his 20-year tenure and the eight World Championship titles achieved under his leadership.
Horner’s position had been under scrutiny for some time, with Red Bull officials in Austria losing trust in him. The backing he received from majority shareholder Chalerm Yoovidhya had shielded him until a recent change behind the scenes facilitated the leadership switch.
Mekies, who now holds the titles of both team principal and chief executive, will not wield the same level of authority as Horner did. Marko emphasized that Mekies’ responsibilities will primarily focus on racing, with a significant reduction in overall duties.
In his new role, Mekies has expressed his priority is to retain the team’s star asset, Max Verstappen, who has been linked to a potential move to Mercedes following Horner’s exit. The focus is on ensuring Red Bull remains competitive and appealing to persuade Verstappen to stay with the team.
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Mekies aims to enhance Red Bull’s competitiveness and appeal to secure Verstappen’s continued commitment to the team. He stated, “I’m sure Max wants a fast car, and if we provide him with one, it will outweigh all other considerations.” The primary focus is on quickly understanding the team to support its development for increased competitiveness and delivering a fast car to make it an easy decision for Verstappen to stay.