“Job No 1” for Laurent Mekies as Red Bull boss is hurriedly pinpointed

The first task for Laurent Mekies as the boss of Red Bull has been highlighted.

Mekies has been thrown into the role of team principal and CEO left behind by Christian Horner’s dramatic exit.

The former Racing Bulls boss has been promoted into the top team where he will discover several problems.

Key among them is the potential exit of Max Verstappen who, despite a contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028, could seek a switch elsewhere, including Mercedes, for next season.

But the constant underperformance of Verstappen’s teammates is a never-ending issue too.

Sergio Perez was axed last year after an inability to score enough points to keep the constructors’ championship away from McLaren. But his replacement Liam Lawson lasted just two races. Yuki Tsunoda came in but has also struggled badly.

“That’s one thing that Laurent, with the hierarchy, need to knuckle down,” Jolyon Palmer told the F1 Nation podcast.

“Can they keep their star driver?

“Max is the glue keeping the whole team together. They’ve lost all of their old management. Helmut Marko is still there in an advisory capacity but a lot of the race team have gone.

“Yet Max is still able to deliver a pole position at Silverstone.

“The other driver is a big question. Laurent has great experience of working with Tsunoda.

“That whole dynamic of the drivers is his first thing to get on top of.”

'Two-car' team wish for Red Bull

Tom Clarkson added: “It’s more than just getting the best out of Yuki.

“We have seen over seven years, since Daniel Ricciardo left the team, that the second car hasn’t performed as effectively.

“That has to be Mekies, if not Job No1, then very near the top of the list.

“Get it operating as a two-car team and properly challenging for the constructors’ championship.

“If you look at the effectiveness of McLaren, you can’t compete with them if you’ve only got one car.”

Lawrence Barretto said: “There was chatter over the course of the British Grand Prix weekend of the necessity to do that internally. To not have a car that is designed so heavily towards Max.”

There is widespread acceptance that Red Bull’s F1 car was designed to suit the incredible talent of Verstappen.

That has served them well and given him four drivers’ titles in a row but as their performance has ebbed away, flaws have been exposed.

With even Verstappen now bemoaning the RB21, it has become a nightmare for whoever is in the second car.

Red Bull’s list of axed drivers includes Lawson, Perez, Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon - highlighting the ruthlessness in their decision-making when performance isn’t swiftly found.