Red Bull warned ‘real problem starts now’ after Christian Horner era ends
Laurent Mekies has admitted to being surprised by what he's witnessed from Max Verstappen across their first two race weekends together.
After a brief hurrah in the Sprint at Spa, Red Bull has been told the “real problems start now,” as Laurent Mekies steps into Christian Horner’s shoes.
Red Bull shocked the F1 paddock when it announced last month that Horner had been sacked from his role as Red Bull Racing team principal and CEO, bringing an end to his 20-year career with the team.
Red Bull warned: The small parts, the stomach ache, the bad atmosphere…
Mekies, moving over from Racing Bulls, was installed with immediate effect.
The Belgian Grand Prix marked his first race weekend in charge, where Verstappen supplied a brief moment of celebration as he won the Sprint with an opening lap overtake on pole-sitter Oscar Piastri.
But, opting for a wet setup given rain was forecast to fall during the grand prix, Verstappen came home in fourth place after F1 race director Rui Marques delayed the start until conditions had eased, and then started it behind the Safety Car.
Belgium, though, was still a better weekend than Hungary, where Red Bull struggled with very low grip. Verstappen brought his RB21 home in ninth place, while Yuki Tsunoda’s pointless run extended to seven races.
For Mekies, the huge task now, is reversing Red Bull’s fortunes.
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Taking over as team principal at a time when Red Bull is something of a downward slide, and as the team also adjusts to its new post-Horner era, Mekies has been warned that the hard yards now begin.
“The previous race was a – let’s say – lucky race,” Minardi told the Italian edition of Motorsport.com of Mekies first two races in charge.
“But the real problem starts now, because now all the pieces need to fall into place. The small parts, the stomach ache, the bad atmosphere…
“Believe me, when you work with so many employees, [there are] people you don’t even know by name despite having been there for years.
“And then imagine having to manage a team in the evening or at night – even with the experience you have gained in the past – then I believe it is really not easy.
“That’s why he deserves some recognition and time to grow into it.”
How much he’ll be given, though, no one is saying.
Red Bull has not revealed any details about Mekies’ contract, nor would the Frenchman go into details when he sat down for his first FIA press conference as Red Bull team principal in Spa.
Asked about his current agreement with Red Bull and whether there are ‘clear goals’ that he needs to achieve, he replied: “Not sure how much I can share.
“Seriously, I don’t think anyone doubts what Red Bull F1 is here to do in terms of objectives. I don’t think anyone doubts what the objectives of the team are short term, mid‑term, long term: it’s to fight for wins and to fight for championships. That’s what it is.
“In terms of mission statements, that’s of course the objective for the time being, For the short term and the mid‑term, is it different to what it was yesterday? No.
“Does anyone have a contract that guarantees him to stay forever? No. I don’t either. But I think it’s pretty normal in Formula 1.”
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