Max Verstappen breaks silence on new Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies ahead of F1 Belgian GP

Max Verstappen says he’s “looking forward” to working with new Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies as the team embarks on a new era.

During the two-week gap between the British and Belgian races, Red Bull announced they had parted ways with Christian Horner.

Horner had been Red Bull’s boss since the team's inception in 2005, overseeing title success with Sebastian Vettel and, more recently, Verstappen.

Mekies was quickly announced as his replacement.

Mekies has a plethora of F1 experience, ranging from roles at Ferrari to the FIA and the Racing Bulls.

The 48-year-old will be tasked with turning Red Bull’s recent form around as the team looks to retain Verstappen for next season.

Verstappen has been heavily linked with a switch to Mercedes, with talks ongoing.

Speaking ahead of this weekend’s trip to Spa-Francorchamps, Verstappen said: “II was back at the factory last week to spend some time in the sim with the team and I’m looking forward to working closely with Laurent.

“There is always huge support in Belgium from the Orange Army and it is like a second home race for me, so I will be back wearing the Orange Lion helmet and my special cap and boots.”

Spa has been a happy hunting ground for Verstappen over the years.

He took a hat-trick of victories between 2021 and 2023.

Verstappen added: “Spa is a classic and always my favourite track on the calendar; a very old school circuit where you have to do everything right to get a good lap.

“I enjoy the high-speed corners such as Eau Rouge, the layout which is different to other circuits and elevation changes that make the track more of a challenge to drive. Silverstone wasn’t our best performance but it was a promising step to put it on pole in qualifying.”

Tsunoda feeling “sharp” ahead of double-header

Yuki Tsunoda needs a big result following another setback at the British GP.

Tsunoda finished last of the classified finishers at Silverstone after a torrid race. 

Looking ahead to this weekend, Tsunoda said: “I have spent the time off racing mixed between training very hard and using the break to mentally reset. I wanted to be the best prepared I could be coming into Spa and in better condition, mentally and physically.

“I am feeling strong and sharp and looking forward to these next two races before summer break. We are coming into this race in a new era for the team and it will be good to link up again with Laurent, we worked really well together at Visa Cash App Racing Bulls.

“I know how he likes to work and our full focus is on pushing forward and for me personally to start delivering the performance we need. Spa is a fun circuit and one that could suit us well, the Sprint always makes things tricky but the work and preparation we have done in this off time should set us up nicely.”