![\"Laurent](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/XPB_1361312_HiRes.jpg\")
Laurent Mekies will head Red Bull for the first time this weekend in Belgium. Image: XPB Images<\/p>\n Laurent Mekies will head Red Bull for the first time this weekend in Belgium. Image: XPB Images<\/p>\n
Mekies, who took over from Christian Horner following the British Grand Prix<\/a>, becomes just the second person to lead Red Bull in its 20-year history.<\/p>\n The 48-year-old joins from Red Bull\u2019s junior outfit<\/a>, Racing Bulls, where he served as team principal and helped reshape its structure alongside CEO Peter Bayer.<\/p>\n Speaking to F1.com, Mekies recalled the moment he received the call from Red Bull executives Oliver Mintzlaff and Helmut Marko.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, it took me by surprise,\u201d he said. \u201cThen you try to digest and then you say, \u2018wait a second, it\u2019s Red Bull calling you to step in that role. How can it be anything else than a privilege?\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cSo you get that Red Bull energy feeling there. And that\u2019s how it happened.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously I called them back. And the rest is history.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\tWATCH: Supercars stars in Supercheap Auto \u2018Police Chase\u2019 Click here<\/a> <\/p>\n Red Bull\u2019s decision to promote from within has been met with widespread praise, particularly from drivers who\u2019ve worked closely with Mekies.<\/p>\n Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar said that while he was thrilled for his former boss, he was \u201cquite disappointed\u201d to see him leave Faenza.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was quite disappointing, to be honest, when I heard the news, because I had a great relationship with him,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI still have, I still will, but it\u2019s a bit sad for every team member because he was very appreciated.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m very happy for him and his new mission now.\u201d<\/p>\n Teammate Liam Lawson echoed the sentiment, calling Mekies \u201cthe perfect person\u201d for Red Bull\u2019s top job.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s important that Laurent gets the time he needs, going to Red Bull, because I do believe he\u2019s the perfect person to have that position,\u201d the New Zealander said.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he will do great. He\u2019s somebody who cares a lot and is a very good human being.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve loved working with him and would love to work with him again in the future in some way.<\/p>\n \u201cFor Red Bull, I think it\u2019s a great opportunity to have Laurent there.\u201d<\/p>\n Lawson also highlighted Mekies\u2019 emotional intelligence as a key asset during a tumultuous time.<\/p>\n \u201cAround Laurent, there is naturally always very good energy and he is somebody who is always very supportive,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cFor me, he was extremely supportive last year when I drove for the team, when I made the step to Red Bull and when I made the step back to VCARB.<\/p>\n \u201cThrough that whole process, he has always been very supportive, and even when I was at Red Bull and not racing with VCARB, I always had plenty of communication with him through that as well.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s just a very supportive person and somebody who brings very good energy to the team, and I think that is going to be very good for Red Bull.\u201d<\/p>\n Who is Laurent Mekies? Tracing the rise of Red Bull\u2019s new boss<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Carlos Sainz, who worked closely with Mekies at Ferrari, also praised the appointment, calling it a smart move by Red Bull.<\/p>\n \u201cMy time in Ferrari when he was there, I found someone that was incredibly hardworking,\u201d said Sainz.<\/p>\n \u201cHe understood very well the driver. He had a special feeling and a special communication with drivers, which I think makes things for the driver very comfortable and very open.<\/p>\n \u201cSince his time in the FIA, then Ferrari, now [Racing Bulls], and now coming in Red Bull \u2014 he has plenty of experience to lead one of the biggest teams in Formula 1.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he\u2019s honestly the perfect fit for that team.\u201d<\/p>\n Mekies himself is under no illusion about the weight of expectation that comes with the role, especially with Red Bull aiming to retain four-time world champion Max Verstappen beyond 2028<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is only one desire at Red Bull,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd it goes from the board to anybody at Red Bull F1. They are here to fight for the wins, to fight for the championships.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd they are here with the maximum commitment from the group to say, we want the team to continue fighting for the win, fighting for the championships, getting the best car out there.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that keeping Verstappen hinges on delivering what the Dutchman values most \u2014 performance.<\/p>\n \u201cMax is central to the project and he\u2019s key to the project and we need his magic at the racetrack,\u201d Mekies added.<\/p>\n \u201cHe has been with the team for a very long time and he has huge inputs in helping us driving the next competitive edge that we will need to build.\u201d<\/p>\n