Laurent Mekies, Red Bull’s choice to succeed Christian Horner in leading their Formula 1 team, faces a formidable task.
His primary objective: retaining Max Verstappen.
But how feasible is this? Does Horner’s exit increase the likelihood of Verstappen staying, or do concerns regarding the car’s performance and the team’s composition remain significant obstacles?
What approach might Mekies adopt in his new role, aiming to stabilise Red Bull and secure Verstappen’s commitment?
We delve into these critical questions in what continues to be a pivotal narrative of the season.
George Russell, pictured left, revealed Mercedes’ discussions with Max Verstappen regarding a potential seat ahead of last month’s Austrian Grand Prix
The four-time world champion confronts a significant decision.
Verstappen is contracted with Red Bull until 2028, yet Mercedes is actively pursuing him. His representatives believe avenues exist for him to exit his current agreement if he chooses to do so.
Whether Red Bull’s decision to “remove Horner from his operational duties” was a strategic move to appease Verstappen and convince him to remain with the team remains to be seen. If so, the effectiveness of this strategy is also uncertain.
However, Horner’s departure does alleviate one source of tension for Verstappen.
The Dutch driver reportedly felt uneasy about the sexual harassment allegations made against Horner by a female employee last year – allegations for which Horner was twice cleared by internal investigations.
Verstappen was also keen for chief technical officer Adrian Newey to remain at the team and is said to dislike the media scrutiny surrounding Red Bull due to recent controversies.
Despite these issues, there was no apparent personal animosity between Horner and Verstappen, although relations were strained between Horner and Verstappen’s father.
Jos Verstappen, a former F1 driver with considerable influence on his son’s career, has largely remained silent publicly this year. However, last year, following the allegations against Horner, he suggested the team would disintegrate if Horner remained in charge.
As the year progressed and several senior figures, starting with Newey, began to depart, Verstappen’s remarks appeared prescient. His perspective remained unchanged until Horner’s dismissal, which significantly alters the dynamics.
Max Verstappen will ultimately make his own decision. However, the departure of Horner at least removes a point of contention between Verstappen and his team boss.
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Verstappen began the 2024 season strongly with four wins in the first five races, but has only won four of his latest 26 outings as Red Bull have struggled to match McLaren
Performance-related questions are also paramount in Verstappen’s decision-making process.
Red Bull’s form has declined significantly from their dominant performances in 2022, 2023, and the early stages of 2024.
McLaren has emerged as the leading force in F1. While Red Bull still possesses the second-fastest car in qualifying on average this year, Verstappen has expressed dissatisfaction with its handling for some time.
He has voiced concerns about poor balance. He has secured four pole positions this year, all at high-speed circuits, including Silverstone, matching McLaren’s championship leader Oscar Piastri.
However, in races, the Red Bull often struggles to compete with McLaren.
The competitive landscape in F1 shifted at the Miami Grand Prix last season, 14 months ago. This was Newey’s last race on the Red Bull pit wall, and it coincided with McLaren’s introduction of a major upgrade that altered the balance of power.
Lando Norris secured his maiden victory in Miami that weekend. Verstappen continued to win for a period, but by mid-season, McLaren had become the team to beat, making further progress over the winter and extending their lead this season.
Red Bull initially mastered the current regulations introduced in 2022, establishing a period of dominance, but they have since been surpassed.
This raises pertinent questions about Red Bull’s technical department following Newey’s departure.
The introduction of new regulations next year could provide Red Bull with an opportunity to reset.
However, if a team is struggling to compete under the current rules, there is a reasonable chance they may continue to do so under the new ones.
The new engines for 2026, which increase the electrical power proportion to approximately 50%, also raise concerns.
Red Bull is developing its own engine with assistance from Ford. There are suggestions that Mercedes is further ahead in this area. While certainty is impossible until next year, the Verstappens are reportedly concerned.
Max Verstappen could choose to remain with Red Bull and assess the competitive landscape next year. However, if he believes Red Bull will be unable to win races, he may consider leaving a worthwhile risk.
Beyond Verstappen’s inability to consistently win races, Red Bull’s struggles extend to their second driver.
Since Daniel Ricciardo’s departure at the end of 2018, none of Verstappen’s teammates have come close to matching his performance.
This highlights Verstappen’s exceptional talent and the development direction of Red Bull’s car.
Teams do not design cars specifically for individual drivers. However, development is guided by data and driver feedback once the fastest possible car is created.
Verstappen prefers a car with sharp turn-in and tolerates rear instability due to his ability to control it. His teammates, lacking his exceptional skills, struggle with this, leading to a negative cycle.
This was acceptable for Red Bull while their car was competitive, as they could still win the drivers’ championship due to Verstappen’s abilities.
However, with Verstappen struggling to win in a car he dislikes, and his teammates unable to drive it effectively, the situation has changed.
Verstappen’s radio exchanges reveal a car with inconsistent or unpredictable aerodynamics, making it difficult to achieve optimal tyre performance due to balance issues.
High downforce numbers are insufficient if the aerodynamics lack stability, hindering driver confidence at the limit.
Yuki Tsunoda this year is often no faster than the drivers in Red Bull’s second team Racing Bulls, from which he was promoted as a result of Liam Lawson’s struggles in the first two races of this season.
This does not mean the Red Bull is not a faster car than the Racing Bull. It means that its limits are accessible only to a driver of Verstappen’s level, or close to it. Which Tsunoda is not. And its limits anyway are not high enough.
This lack of competitiveness was one of the ingredients in the mix that led to Horner’s departure.
Appointing a new team boss with a fresh perspective presents an opportunity for Red Bull to reset their design philosophy and reconsider the level of second driver they require.
Mekies brings over 20 years of F1 experience.
Mekies is a very different character from Horner. An engineer by trade, rather than a racing driver who did not have what it takes to make it to F1, the 48-year-old Frenchman does not chase the limelight and is not adversarial.
Inevitably, that means that the public image of Red Bull will change, because the man charged with delivering it will not be doing so in the same way as his predecessor.
He comes to Red Bull with wide-ranging experience in F1.
He spent 14 years as an engineer first for the now defunct Arrows team, then Red Bull’s junior team before joining governing body the FIA in 2014. He became deputy race director under the late Charlie Whiting, before moving to Ferrari in 2018, where he eventually became deputy team principal under Mattia Binotto.
He went back to Red Bull’s second team for the 2024 season as team principal. He is succeeded in that position by Alan Permane, who joined as racing director at the same time as Mekies, after 36 years with the Enstone team through its various guises as Benetton, Renault, Lotus, Renault and Alpine.
Beyond retaining Verstappen and addressing the design department’s issues, Mekies must restabilise Red Bull after a period of significant change and stem the outflow of talent.
Before Newey’s departure, Rob Marshall, a key design engineer for many years, joined McLaren at the start of 2024.
Long-time sporting director Jonathan Wheatley has also departed to become team principal at Sauber/Audi.
Head of strategy Will Courtenay has signed to become McLaren’s sporting director. Horner was blocking the move – almost certainly because of his fractious personal relationship with McLaren Racing chief executive officer Zak Brown.
Will Mekies take a different approach? After all, it seems odd to have someone running your strategy on the pit wall who is already committed to working for your main rival, however professional he is.
Red Bull had become a difficult environment in many ways. Because of all the issues surrounding Horner, there was a paranoia about the place. People spotted talking to journalists were quizzed as to what they had told them.
Horner’s departure should mean that concern goes away.
That alone would be a step in the right direction. But Mekies has many more steps to take to get Red Bull back to their best.