Christian Horner’s tasks divided up, Laurent Mekies “doesn’t have to worry”

Laurent Mekies has made an impressive start to life at Red Bull and is already winning praise from the team’s Formula 1 advisor Helmut Marko.

Mekies was drafted in as Red Bull’s team principal and CEO last month after the energy drinks giant sacked Christian Horner, who had led the squad since its inception in 2005.

Unlike Horner, Mekies comes from an engineering background and worked his way from Arrows, Minardi, Ferrari and Racing Bulls before landing the top job at the Milton Keynes squad.

The Frenchman also has a streamlined role at Red Bull, focused on the running of the grand prix team, with its new powertrain division not falling under his remit.

Marko believes these two factors will make a big difference for Mekies, who has been putting in long shifts to gain a full understanding of the inner workings of the team.

Helmut Marko impressed by Laurent Mekies at Red Bull

“Mekies has made a very good debut,” Marko told F1-Insider. “He's certainly been on the job for 14 or more hours a day, engaging with management and holding discussions.

“He's an excellent engineer and has a strong focus on technology. That was also our goal: He doesn't have to worry about marketing, PR, or Red Bull Powertrains—that all remains independent. His focus is entirely on the racing team.”

Red Bull Powertrains is led by British engineer Ben Hodgkinson, who previously served as Head of Mechanical Engineering at Mercedes.

This leaves Mekies free to focus on the operational side of the F1 team, whether at the race track or the factory.

The Frenchman also has experience of honing young talent following his stint at Racing Bulls, where he worked with the likes of Yuki Tsunoda, Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson.

Mekies’ appointment is seen as crucial for Tsunoda’s future at the team, with the 48-year-old having been impressed by how he performed at the Faenza squad last year.

Asked what style Mekies brings to the team, Marko said: “He's down-to-earth and has both feet on the ground. His discussions with the drivers are also more technical.”