Laurent Mekies officially becomes new Red Bull F1 team boss replacing Christian Horner

Laurent Mekies officially replaces Christian Horner as Red Bull Formula 1 team boss — a change that ends a 20-year leadership era that yielded six constructor titles and eight driver championships.

In his first interview at Silverstone Circuit, Mekies paid tribute to his predecessor:

“It still feels unreal to be here without seeing him. It would be impossible to underestimate the size of achievement this team has had under 20 years of Christian’s leadership.”

This leadership change comes after Horner lost confidence from Thai and Austrian shareholders — a situation complicated by team performance decline and questions about star driver Max Verstappen’s future.

Mekies emphasized his focus on maximizing existing talent at the Red Bull campus ahead of 2026 regulation changes — a period that will coincide with the team becoming a works manufacturer with engines from Red Bull Powertrains.

In the coming weeks, the new boss will focus on meeting team members, understanding Red Bull Formula 1’s workings, and finding ways to contribute and support the team.