New Red Bull Team Principal Laurent Mekies Recognises Christian Horner's Achievements And Future Challenges

Add as a preferred source on Google

Laurent Mekies expressed admiration for Christian Horner's accomplishments with Red Bull, acknowledging the surreal feeling of leading the team. Mekies took over as Red Bull's team principal earlier this week. Horner was dismissed on Wednesday after a 20-year tenure, during which Red Bull secured six constructors' titles and eight drivers' championships in Formula One.

Red Bull currently holds fourth place in the 2025 constructor standings, trailing behind leaders McLaren. Max Verstappen, the reigning four-time champion, is third among drivers. "It still feels unreal to be here and not to see him [Horner]," Mekies stated, as reported by Sky Sports. "It would be impossible to underestimate the size of the achievement this team has had under 20 years of Christian's leadership."

Mekies recalled meeting Horner two decades ago when he was the youngest team principal in F1. He marvelled at how Horner transformed Red Bull into a powerhouse. "That journey, the many titles and wins," he noted. Christian, along with Helmut Marko and Oliver Mintzlaff, played a key role in bringing Mekies back to Red Bull two years ago.

Despite recognising the challenge of restoring Red Bull to F1's pinnacle, Mekies remains optimistic about their prospects. "I look at this team as most outside look at them; we see the very best people in the world at what they do," he said. Even as a former competitor, he viewed Red Bull Racing as an elite team with top talent working together.

Mekies emphasised his privilege in joining such a distinguished team. His focus will be on ensuring that all talented individuals have what they need to excel because they are already exceptional. "We will be focussing on that and making sure the Red Bull energy is flowing through the team," he added.

Mekies acknowledged that overcoming future challenges would require collective effort. "We are not underestimating the challenge ahead; we will need everybody and we will go about it together," he affirmed. With everyone's contributions, he is confident they can tackle these challenges effectively.