Formula 1 News: Mekies downplays role in Red Bull revival

(GMM) Laurent Mekies (pictured) insists he is not the architect of Red Bull’s dramatic turnaround since taking over from ousted boss Christian Horner.

The French engineer, promoted from sister team Racing Bulls earlier this year, has been widely credited – by both Max Verstappen and Dr Helmut Marko – for reshaping Red Bull’s structure and sparking its late-season resurgence.

Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing and Laurent Mekies, Team Principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing talk in the garage while Dr. Helmut Marko looks on during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Singapore at Marina Bay Street Circuit on October 03, 2025 in Singapore, Singapore. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

But Mekies laughed off the praise when asked what part he had played. “It’s still zero,” he smiled. “And I’m also saying that very seriously.

“The step forward in Monza was thanks to the hard work of everyone who analyzes the car’s limitations race after race.

“They’re asking themselves how we can get the most out of the car, how we can make it faster, and where we need to improve it to achieve better lap times. That work, combined with extremely strong and clear feedback from Max, is paying off. That’s good news, because as a team, it means we have the best people we could ever hope for.”

Marko recently said Mekies had helped foster a new atmosphere inside Red Bull, where driver input is valued more directly – a shift from Horner’s more management-focused style.

Laurent Mekies, Team Principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing and Dr Helmut Marko, Team Consultant of Oracle Red Bull Racing talk in the Paddock during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan at Baku City Circuit on September 19, 2025 in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

Mekies’ next key task will be advising Marko and shareholders on the team’s 2026 driver lineup, with Isack Hadjar expected to arrive and Yuki Tsunoda’s future uncertain after another mixed weekend in Singapore.

“Yuki didn’t have a good Saturday,” Mekies admitted. “Personally, I was happy with how he performed on Friday. It might not have looked spectacular at first glance, but if you looked at his laps, he was at the right level.

“Saturday was bad. We need to work with him to see what went wrong there. His opening lap of the race was an absolute disaster.”

Sky Deutschland pundit Ralf Schumacher agrees that Red Bull’s new leadership dynamic has helped revive the team’s form. “One thing leads to another,” he said. “In football, you can be the best coach, but if you don’t reach the team, there are problems. Maybe that’s how it was a few months ago.

“The new team boss is a superb engineer. He can sense and understand what his employees want to contribute – and he’s the kind of person who takes everyone along with him,” the former F1 race winner added.