With the important work of sports, Laurent Mekies has one of the biggest jobs after taking over as the boss of six-time team champion Red Bull.
The Frenchman is the second person to lead the team in 20 years of history and to take charge as they work hard to perform.
Trade engineer Mekies has been in Formula 1 for 24 years, working with Arrows, Minardi, Toro Rosso, governing bodies Fia, Ferrari, Ferrari, Racing Bulls and now Red Bull. Recently, he helped change the organizational structure of Racing Bull and worked with CEO Peter Bayer to shape the team to become a strong midfield force.
So when Red Bulls decided they needed to change at the top, they looked inside the family, and this was their replacement for Christian Horner, who has been with the team since they played in the sport.
Mekies, who made his debut in front of world media at the FIA press conference on Friday, spoke exclusively at F1.com at Red Bull Energy Station in Spa Paddock, cut a relaxed and charming character as he detailed how he got life-changing news.
“Obviously, it's blue, like you guys,” he said. “So mine may be very similar to you. I got the call a few hours ago when everyone knows it. [Mintzlaff, Red Bull CEO Corporate Projects and Investments] and Helmut [Marko, Red Bull’s Motorsport Adviser].
“Of course, that surprised me. Then, you try to digest, and you say, wait a minute, Red Bull calls you to play this role. How could this be something else besides privilege?
So you feel what Red Bull is there. This is what happened. Apparently I called them back. The rest is history. ”
“They have this incredible fighting spirit”
As the team principal, you don't have much sleep, so asking for work is work, and Mekies admits that working in the past two weeks has even been less than normal, as the idea whirled in his mind how he solved one of F1's precious jobs. He said the first thing that suddenly appeared was meeting the people.
He added: “This is how you can use your time to meet these incredible people now, meet teams, start to get to know each other, start to interact, learn about strengths, learn about the dynamics, learn about all of that.”
“Of course, it's only been two weeks, and you're far from where you want to be, but once you start the process, it's a completely different feeling and you'll meet more people every day. So that makes it an incredible journey.”
Mekies is a person. Talk to anyone he worked with during F1 and they will tell you that he is a smart, thoughtful and motivated person. He promotes a team. He mentioned people so early in the chat – and as the chat progresses, he often shows you how important he knows how important they are in creating successful operations.
That's why he didn't waste time meeting them, whether it's on the expected shooting day on the track or on their Milton Keynes campus. It was early, of course, but he was already impressed by what he saw.
“I discover some talent out there every day,” he said. “I discover the way the team works every day. The common element is that every angle you find, every door you push, and the incredible racing spirit is found.
“Boys and girls are here to win. You really feel like you feel like these guys are the best thing in the world. They have this incredible fighting spirit. So every day you're lucky to meet some of them and start interacting more and more. That's how the last two weeks.”
Naturally, it was hard to say goodbye to the Racing Bulls, where he had the first major team role ever and spent some time working as an engineer deal early in his career – but he knew the team had a good grasp and he suggested that Alan Permane, who had served as a racing director, was the right person to work with Bayer.
“On the one hand, it’s very difficult because the adventures there are incredible,” he said. “We’re on an incredible track with everyone and we’ve made a lot of changes together over the past year and a half and it feels really going to speed up and get better.”
“So, on that side, it's a little weird to leave the boat. But on the other hand, the team is in the hands of perfection.
“Alan is the best person to play the main role of the team. He knows the team is upside down. He is a very symbol of the spirit we have been working to build with everyone and let him lead him and work with Peter to go with all the teams around him.”
“Red Bull wants to fight for victory and for the championship”
The leading Red Bulls made significant progress over the leading Racing Bulls – the goal is to fight at the sharp end of the midfield, with his former team fighting for victory and championship with his new team. Very stressed.
“There is only one desire for Red Bull,” he said. “Anyone from the board to Red Bull F1. They are fighting for victory, fighting for championships. They are here to say with the greatest promise here that we hope the team continues to fight for victory, win, and get the best car.
“This is naturally the goal. It's not a new goal. It's not a recommitment. It's just a recommitment of the team, and the team's team said it's a team we want to compete with the championship and we will do everything we can to continue to do this in the future.”
The obvious follow-up question is “How does he plan to do this?”, given that the team is currently ranked fourth in the team’s championship game, they have seen key personnel and athletic director Jonathan Wheatley, like Design Guru Adrian Newey, leave the action over the past few years to pursue opportunities with the rival team.
His answer won't surprise you because it focuses on the people. “It is to make sure our people use the right tools in the right environment to make their talents work their magic,” he said.
The success of equation 1 takes time and is often periodic. Mercedes ruled the hybrid turbo era but was first demoted to class leader by the Red Bull and now finds himself behind new speed maker McLaren.
Back to the front battle is not the job of the moment – they will have a challenge next year, as this is their first time racing against their own power units, which was produced with American auto giant Ford. Fortunately, Mekis said the board knew that the reconstruction might take some time.
“I think Red Bull has been in the sport for a long time,” he said. “They know exactly how the sport works and know what you can expect in the short term, the medium term, the long term you can expect.
“We are facing incredible challenges of sports trains that will be combined with the regulatory challenges of 2026. So you don’t need to explain these things to management. They are fully aware of these dynamics.
“You have a fire on every level of the company because you want to invest in aggression level at every level of the company so that you can fight for victory and win for the championship, which is a big attempt.”
“Max is at the heart of the project and we need his magic”
A key component of any successful operation in Formula One is the driver lineup of the lineup – one of Mekis Hanoi’s biggest tasks is to keep its four-time world champion Max Verstappen, though his future has been the subject of speculation until at least the end of 2028.
“The only thing that matters is that we work in the car and do it as quickly as possible,” Verstappen said on Thursday. Mekies knows the best opportunity for the team to keep the Dutchman on books is to deliver him.
“The truth is, Red Bull is committed to Max,” he said. “And our huge commitment to Max is to give him the best car. Giving him the best car is what everyone in the company wants more than anyone else wants.
“That's the real effort. The rest will be a result. But of course, Max is at the heart of the project, he's the key to the project, and we need his magic on the track. He's been on the team for a long time and he has a lot of investment in helping us drive the next competitive advantage, and we're going to need to build.”
So, does he wish he could ship the car Verstappen wanted and enough to keep him there?
“I think the team can do that,” he said. “It has the means. It has the spirit. More importantly, it has the talent. In short, yes, I think we can give it to our drivers.”
Regarding Verstappen's teammate Yuki Tsunoda, Mekies knows that the Japanese driver ran him in the car. He saw directly how Tsunoda gelled and made the most of the car in the team. He has seen Tsunoda do a good job with Red Bull Part One – in the second part everyone knows in F1, the team behind him, is one of the toughest cars to tame.
“Yuki is a fast guy,” he said. “There is no doubt. And the speed doesn't go away. It's difficult. I know the team is very strong behind him, trying to unlock what can be unlocked and trying to connect the points that need to be connected.
“So he had a very, very good interaction with the team. Yes, I believe he will be able to show his true value in the near future.”
Mekies have performed well in Formula 1 so far. He was highly respected among his contemporaries and was known for his ways of urging the workforce, providing performance and creating a positive culture. It will be crucial to make the most of these traits as he tackles the biggest challenges of his career.