Mekies hails sacked Horner for his support
Mekies has been promoted from sister team Racing Bull to become only the second Red Bull principal since the energy drink brand entered the sport in 2005.
"Yes, we have spoken," the Frenchman told reporters at the Belgian Grand Prix, his first race at the helm.
"He has been nothing other than supportive, even in the extremely difficult context for him.
"He was the first one to text, he was the first one to call. I think again this morning or yesterday, we texted each other again."
Mekies said nobody would replace Horner as a character and he certainly would not try to do the job in a similar manner to the Briton, who had been in charge at Milton Keynes for more than 20 years.
Instead, he said he would seek to "empower" more of his staff and rely on the existing strengths within the team.
Horner has not spoken publicly since his July 9 sacking, although he did address factory staff before leaving.
Mekies said he had been contacted "out of the blue" by Red Bull's head of corporate projects Oliver Mintzlaff and motorsport consultant Helmut Marko to offer him the job of principal.
His immediate response was to ask for time to consider, and then he put the phone down.
"First thought obviously goes to, in this moment as well, to Christian," he explained. "Because it's not something that, you know, I could have expected. And he had been nothing else than extremely supportive with me these last two years."
Mekies said he had then called back and accepted the challenge.
"You just say, of course. You know, if you think you need me there, I will go there."
Mekies said providing the team's four-times world champion Max Verstappen with a fast car was a priority, as that would then resolve other issues about his future plans, and morale was holding up.
"The focus is very much to, as we said earlier, try to get to know the team as quickly as possible in order to see how we can support, how we can build the next step of competitiveness in order to get a fast car," he said.
"And hence, to make it an easy call for Max."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
29 minutes ago
- BBC News
Dunne finishes second in F2 sprint race
Ireland's Alex Dunne finished in second place in the Formula 2 sprint race in 19-year-old came home behind race winner Jose Pepe Marti after a thrilling last-lap almost took the lead with an audacious move around the outside of the penultimate corner but his Spanish rival held on to win by 0.2 McLaren development driver is now third in the standings, seven points behind leader Leonardo will start in ninth position for Sunday's feature race at the Hungaroring in Rodin Motorsport driver is challenging for the championship in his first Formula 2 was two wins, which came in feature races in Bahrain and Imola, and took the chequered flag in Belgium in the last round but lost the victory and championship lead due to a starting procedure infringement.
The Sun
29 minutes ago
- The Sun
Formula 4 race suspended after 17 seconds of chaos sees terrifying crashes and FIFTEEN drivers forced to retire
A FORMULA 4 race had to be suspended after a huge 15-car crash. The shocking incident occurred at the iconic Imola circuit in Italy this afternoon. 2 2 The second race of the day saw a car fail to move as the lights went out. As it sat stationary, the driver directly behind swerved out the way and accidentally wiped out a rival. The car was sent flying off the track and onto the grass as debris scattered across the start line. Several yellow flags were immediately waved but those at the back of the grid did not spot them. A car went smashing into the back of the still stationary vehicle and it led to a horror pile-up. The collision saw red flag was raised after just 17 seconds. In total, 15 cars retired from the race. Some immediately got out the driver's seat but others worryingly remained inside. It has since been reported that all involved are OK. The names of those involved have not been confirmed. Chiefs initially decided to suspend the action before then allegedly abandoning the race due to the track's noise curfew. There is no information as to when the race will be rescheduled for.
The Sun
29 minutes ago
- The Sun
England Lionesses set to be rewarded with honours after Euros victory as PM praises champions as ‘true history-makers'
SIR Keir Starmer today hints England's Lionesses will be rewarded with honours after their Euros triumph, as he declares: 'Recognition is coming.' The PM praised the two-time champions as 'true history-makers' who have inspired a generation — including his own daughter. 6 6 6 And he hailed England's great values of 'decency, fairness and respect' that spurred on the squad's success in Switzerland. The Lionesses are back-to-back Euros winners after beating Spain in a nail-biting penalty shoot-out. England heroes Chloe Kelly and Hannah Hampton are among those expected to get gongs in the New Year's Honours List. Their Dutch manager Sarina Wiegman could be made an Honorary Dame after leading her squad to double glory. Writing exclusively in today's Sun on Sunday, the footie-mad PM says: 'What Sarina and our Lionesses have achieved is nothing short of remarkable. "So recognition is coming — and it will be worthy of their historic success.' Sir Keir flew to Basel to watch them roar to victory in last Sunday's final at St Jakob-Park. Supersub Kelly scored the winning penalty for England and goalie Hampton saved two Spanish spot-kicks to help secure glory. The Cabinet Office oversees the honours and details of who is in line for a them are a fiercely kept secret until they are officially named but there is a long history of sports champs getting gongs. The squad were widely honoured after winning the Euros for the first time three years ago. Lionesses' Beatlemania-like homecoming shows women footballers are FINALLY getting the honour and respect they deserve Captain Leah Williamson, also skipper for the second triumph, got an OBE, while Lucy Bronze, Beth Mead and Ellen White were made MBEs. Kelly missed out on a gong in 2022 despite scoring England's match-winning goal in their extra-time win over Germany in the final at Wembley. Gareth Southgate was handed a knighthood after leading the men's England team to their second consecutive Euros final last year. 6 6 The entire men's English cricket team got honours after beating the Aussies in the 2005 Ashes. And in 2003, the England rugby union team were all given OBEs after their World Cup victory. David Beckham was told earlier this year he will get a knighthood. Meanwhile, Lioness Lauren Hemp has recreated the Euros trophy out of 3,000 Lego bricks. The Man City forward shared a pic on Instagram captioned: 'When two of my favourite things come together.' 6 Recognition will be worthy of Lionesses' historic success By Sir Keir Starmer THIS summer, once again, the Lionesses united and inspired our whole nation, giving us moments we'll always remember. In pubs and living rooms across the country, we crowded around our screens with nerves jangling. We knew it would be dramatic with this team — and they didn't disappoint. Girls, like my own daughter, are dreaming that bit bigger because of what they have seen this team achieve. And in playgrounds, parks, and clubs across our communities, it's not just women and girls who are seeking to emulate their heroes — this team has inspired us all. The stats will record the Lionesses are true history-makers — the first senior England team to win a major trophy overseas; back-to-back European champions — and with a hat-trick of trophies for Sarina. But they are not just writing history, they are writing the future too. Because this story is about more than football. It's about the very right to play at all. It's about what the Lionesses represent when they play for this country. And it's about who we are, and what we can achieve together. Some people might have written England off when we were 2-0 down to Sweden or a goal behind against Italy and Spain. But if they did, they don't know this team — or this country. I was lucky enough to be at the final, and I can tell you that English heads never went down. The grit and determination that saw us come back in every one of those knock-out games was born of the same grit and determination with which this team faced down outdated attitudes that prevented some of their predecessors from even playing. It's the same courage and determination with which they called out vile and racist online abuse during the tournament. When the Lionesses put that England shirt on, they stand for what we stand for together: England, in all its glory, with our shared history and values — decency, fairness and respect. I have spoken to these players and heard their passion — for the game, for their country, and for the next generation that they want to inspire. The pride, resilience and unity that define this team, define the very best of who we are. It has shown us, once again, what this country can achieve. And I cannot think of better role models for our nation. What Sarina and our Lionesses have achieved is nothing short of remarkable. So recognition is coming — and it will be worthy of their historic success. But the greatest tribute will be to use the inspiration of this summer to deliver a legacy the Lionesses have fought for: equal access to all sport for girls and boys. This government is rolling up its sleeves and making that a reality. The Lionesses have made an entire nation proud. We're determined to deliver a legacy they can be proud of too.
