Laurent Mekies appointed as new Red Bull F1 team boss

According to Motorsport.com, Laurent Mekies has been appointed as CEO and team boss of Red Bull F1 — replacing Christian Horner who led the team for two decades.

Alan Permane, Racing Bulls racing director, shared his positive assessment of Mekies:

“They’re getting a great guy. He’s a people person and knows racing exceptionally well.”

Mekies faces significant challenges — taking over a team that has experienced performance decline over the past 18 months and managing in-house engine development for 2026 regulations at the Milton Keynes campus.

Racing Bulls and Red Bull will continue their collaboration within regulatory limits, including the use of suspension components, transmission, and eventually Red Bull-manufactured engines in 2026.

Permane, who started his F1 career with Benetton in 1989, joined Racing Bulls in January 2024 after a long career at the Enstone team through various eras — Renault, Lotus, and Alpine.