By securing Laurent Mekies through the end of 2031, Red Bull has made an important move. The Frenchman has brought back something that was increasingly lost under Christian Horner: calm within the team. And that stability could prove decisive for the future of both Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing.
After two consecutive Grand Prix victories, there was extra cause for celebration at Red Bull Racing this Wednesday, as team principal Laurent Mekies extended his contract through the end of 2031. It comes as no surprise that the Frenchman will be staying on for the long term. The Austrian team is extremely pleased with the way the affable Mekies works.
His approach is not only delivering results - albeit after a slow start this season. Above all, Mekies has brought a great deal of calm to the organisation, including to the camp around Max Verstappen. That, in particular, is vital to Red Bull Racing’s future.
Mekies and Verstappen have an excellent relationship
The turmoil involving Jos Verstappen and Helmut Marko during Christian Horner’s era is still fresh in the memory, when disagreements were aired openly. Mekies has managed to put an end to that. Things are genuinely calm internally, although that does not rule out the departure of familiar names such as Gianpiero Lambiase. Sometimes, an offer from another team is simply impossible for Red Bull to match.
It is also telling that Mekies regularly flies to and from Grands Prix with Max Verstappen - a sign that the two have an excellent relationship. The Frenchman also makes a point of staying in close contact with Jos Verstappen and Raymond Vermeulen, who give the impression that they feel heard by the team principal. All of this undoubtedly played a part in Verstappen’s decision to stay at least through the end of 2030.
Laurent Mekies committing to the team for the long term is a blessing for Red Bull’s competitive future. His continued presence brings stability, which is exactly what a team needs if it wants to win. People at the top should not be constantly leaving or coming under fire. That is a huge distraction, and performance suffers as a result. Ferrari’s Fred Vasseur knows all about that.
Max Verstappen wanted stability
Photo: Race Pictures
Max Verstappen is undoubtedly pleased to have this clarity. It was not so long ago that the four-time champion was concerned about the exodus, with people such as Jonathan Wheatley, Adrian Newey and the aforementioned Lambiase leaving - although Verstappen is happy for his race engineer as he makes the move to McLaren. Since then, several seasoned names have joined the team, including Tom McCullough (Head of Racing from 2027) and Andrea Landi (Head of Engineering since 1 July).
Perhaps Mekies’ greatest achievement is that he has refocused attention on what really matters: building a winning Formula 1 car. After the Grands Prix of Malaysia and Singapore, Red Bull is even being viewed by its rivals as the benchmark in Formula 1.
That does not mean, of course, that Mekies has solved all of Red Bull’s problems. The starts, for example, remain an issue. The competition is not standing still either and will be looking to hit back hard after Red Bull’s resurgence. But with a team principal who has widespread support internally, the chances are far greater that any setbacks can be absorbed without throwing the entire organisation into turmoil again.
Red Bull has proved for years that it can win races and championships with Verstappen. The challenge now is to build an organisation that can remain successful over the long term. Mekies could prove invaluable in achieving precisely that.