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The Guardian
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Guardian
Red Bull go full throttle for Laurent Mekies as enthralling new era begins at Spa
Amid a turbulent period for Red Bull, their new team principal, Laurent Mekies, is bearing the responsibility and the scrutiny, for the moment at least, with a smile. After not quite two weeks in charge since the dismissal of Christian Horner, Mekies and Red Bull are adjusting to a new era with a business as usual attitude even as the circumstances suggest it can be anything but, before this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix. At Spa, Mekies faced the press for the first time in his new role and was presented with a barrage of questions, which he fielded with the light touch and good humour of a man enjoying his position in what might be considered its honeymoon period at the Red Bull helm. The weather in the Ardennes forests demonstrated its usual capricious sweep from mist and rain to hazy sunshine, playing as the backdrop to the attention in the paddock centred on the Red Bull motorhome, where the atmosphere around the team has been febrile. Oliver Mintzlaff, the managing director of Red Bull's parent company, Red Bull GmbH, was in attendance, a relatively rare occurrence and indicative of the sea change that has taken place, with Mintzlaff the ultimate victor in his power struggle with Horner. Mintzlaff, for such a key player, is anonymous enough to slip in and out of the paddock all but unnoticed. Not so Max Verstappen's father, Jos, and his manager, Raymond Vermeulen, who arrived flanked by photographers who caught the relaxed and contented air emanating from both men, with Verstappen Sr in particular having long-lobbied against Horner. Helmut Marko, the head of motor sport and a Verstappen ally, duly took his place too as all of Red Bull's power players came to oversee Mekies's first race in charge and Red Bull's first without Horner in control. Inside the team the personnel are without doubt undergoing a period of adjustment; for all the politicking Horner was well liked and sadness at his departure had been expressed by many. Paul Monaghan, Red Bull's chief engineer, whom Horner recruited in his first year in charge in 2005, reflected what many were feeling about both past and future. 'It was a shock to me and it was sad, Christian's put a large chunk of his working life into the team,' Monaghan said. 'Laurent has got quite a difficult situation to be dropped in. So now it's up to us to pull together as a team because nine other teams can't wait to fight us. So if we're going to stand up to them, we have to stand as a team.' The business as usual approach is intended to steady the ship and the management that ousted Horner are backing Mekies to do so. It is understood he is, as team principal and chief executive, being given full rein to do as he sees fit and is not considered in any way a caretaker manager, while Mintzlaff is expected to remain hands-off, although whether that remains the case might depend on quite how Mekies performs. Certainly in one key area, that of the relationship between the team and the Verstappen camp, tensions have eased after Horner's dismissal. Whether Verstappen stays with Red Bull, however, still remains up in the air and he and his father's attitude will surely be tempered by performance; the pressure is on Mekies from the off. The Frenchman said in Spa that he had been given no reason for Horner's dismissal but that the former team principal had been in touch and offered his support to Mekies, who felt morale remained strong at Red Bull despite the upheaval. 'The first 24 hours was a big adjustment, because nobody was expecting it,' he said. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion 'No question, the first few hours after the announcement was a surprise and certainly a digestion phase for everyone. After that, I've only found a huge amount of support from everyone, they just want to go racing.' The task facing him is immense not least in taking over the project of next year's car being built to the biggest regulation change in over a decade and Red Bull's first foray into building their own engines. These are long-term considerations around which he can still exert an influence, but for the moment the focus is narrow which may be to the Frenchman's advantage. The nature of Formula One and its relentless march forward means a win for Verstappen would go an enormously long way to easing the pressure and beginning the process of putting the past to bed and building anew. Certainly Verstappen has fine form here, Spa is a circuit he enjoys and with a host of upgrades for this race including a revised front wing he might be hopeful of making a decent fist of things under the new management but it is the dominant McLarens that look likely to once more hold the advantage. In qualifying for Saturday's sprint race Oscar Piastri claimed pole with a mighty lap, a full half a second clear of Verstappen in second and his McLaren teammate Lando Norris in third. Lewis Hamilton finished in 18th having spun off on his hot lap in Q3.
Irish Times
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Irish Times
Red Bull go full throttle for Laurent Mekies as enthralling new era begins at Spa
Amid a turbulent period for Red Bull, their new team principal, Laurent Mekies, is bearing the responsibility and the scrutiny, for the moment at least, with a smile. After not quite two weeks in charge since the dismissal of Christian Horner, Mekies and Red Bull are adjusting to a new era with a business as usual attitude even as the circumstances suggest it can be anything but, before this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix. At Spa, Mekies faced the press for the first time in his new role and was presented with a barrage of questions, which he fielded with the light touch and good humour of a man enjoying his position in what might be considered its honeymoon period at the Red Bull helm. The weather in the Ardennes forests demonstrated its usual capricious sweep from mist and rain to hazy sunshine, playing as the backdrop to the attention in the paddock centred on the Red Bull motorhome, where the atmosphere around the team has been febrile. READ MORE Oliver Mintzlaff, the managing director of Red Bull's parent company, Red Bull GmbH, was in attendance, a relatively rare occurrence and indicative of the sea change that has taken place, with Mintzlaff the ultimate victor in his power struggle with Horner. Mintzlaff, for such a key player, is anonymous enough to slip in and out of the paddock all but unnoticed. Not so Max Verstappen's father, Jos, and his manager, Raymond Vermeulen, who arrived flanked by photographers who caught the relaxed and contented air emanating from both men, with Verstappen Sr in particular having long-lobbied against Horner. Helmut Marko, the head of motorsport and a Verstappen ally, duly took his place too as all of Red Bull's power players came to oversee Mekies's first race in charge and Red Bull's first without Horner in control. Inside the team the personnel are without doubt undergoing a period of adjustment; for all the politicking Horner was well liked and sadness at his departure had been expressed by many. Paul Monaghan, Red Bull's chief engineer, whom Horner recruited in his first year in charge in 2005, reflected what many were feeling about both past and future. 'It was a shock to me and it was sad, Christian's put a large chunk of his working life into the team,' Monaghan said. 'Laurent has got quite a difficult situation to be dropped in. So now it's up to us to pull together as a team because nine other teams can't wait to fight us. So if we're going to stand up to them, we have to stand as a team.' Jos Verstappen, former F1 driver and father of Max Verstappen, talks with a Kick Sauber's official ahead of the start of the first practice session for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. Photograph: Simon Wohlfahrt/AFP via Getty Images The business as usual approach is intended to steady the ship and the management that ousted Horner are backing Mekies to do so. It is understood he is, as team principal and chief executive, being given full rein to do as he sees fit and is not considered in any way a caretaker manager, while Mintzlaff is expected to remain hands-off, although whether that remains the case might depend on quite how Mekies performs. Certainly in one key area, that of the relationship between the team and the Verstappen camp, tensions have eased after Horner's dismissal. Whether Verstappen stays with Red Bull, however, still remains up in the air and he and his father's attitude will surely be tempered by performance; the pressure is on Mekies from the off. The Frenchman said in Spa that he had been given no reason for Horner's dismissal but that the former team principal had been in touch and offered his support to Mekies, who felt morale remained strong at Red Bull despite the upheaval. 'The first 24 hours was a big adjustment, because nobody was expecting it,' he said. 'No question, the first few hours after the announcement was a surprise and certainly a digestion phase for everyone. After that, I've only found a huge amount of support from everyone, they just want to go racing.' The task facing him is immense not least in taking over the project of next year's car being built to the biggest regulation change in over a decade and Red Bull's first foray into building their own engines. These are long-term considerations around which he can still exert an influence, but for the moment the focus is narrow which may be to the Frenchman's advantage. The nature of Formula One and its relentless march forward means a win for Verstappen would go an enormously long way to easing the pressure and beginning the process of putting the past to bed and building anew. Certainly Verstappen has fine form here, Spa is a circuit he enjoys and with a host of upgrades for this race including a revised front wing he might be hopeful of making a decent fist of things under the new management but it is the dominant McLarens that look likely to once more hold the advantage. In qualifying for Saturday's sprint race Oscar Piastri claimed pole with a mighty lap, a full half a second clear of Verstappen in second and his McLaren team-mate Lando Norris in third. Lewis Hamilton finished in 18th having spun off on his hot lap in Q3. – Guardian
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Automotive
- The Guardian
‘Horner exit won't influence my future': Verstappen on whether he stays at Red Bull
Max Verstappen has insisted that the dismissal of his team principal Christian Horner would not be a factor in deciding whether he remains at Red Bull. The world champion also revealed that the shock move after the British Grand Prix was led by the team's parent company Red Bull GmbH, which had been embroiled in a power struggle with Horner for a year and a half. The Dutchman was addressing the subject publicly for the first time since Horner was dismissed two weeks ago. Horner had been in charge of Red Bull since 2005 but had come increasingly under pressure after the death of Red Bull's co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz in 2022. Horner had been embroiled in a scandal involving accusations of inappropriate behaviour made against him by an employee, though he was cleared by an investigation. Speaking before the Belgian Grand Prix, Verstappen revealed he had been told half a day in advance of Horner's exit. 'The last one and a half years have not gone how we would have liked and management decided they wanted to steer the ship in a different direction,' he said. 'Management and, of course, the shareholders decided that they wanted a change. They run the team and I'm the driver so whatever they decide it's fully in their right to do what they want.' His father, Jos, was a key figure in wanting Horner gone but Verstappen, who has won all four of his titles with Horner in charge, maintained he was still on friendly terms with his former boss. 'The relationship between myself and Christian, that doesn't change,' he said. 'Of course he's not here now and we're doing a race again but it's still like a second family to me.' Keeping Verstappen at Red Bull was likely to be one of the key reasons behind Horner's dismissal, with the world champion known to have already been involved in talks with Mercedes. Red Bull have been underperforming for 18 months and Verstappen was deeply unhappy having already conceded he was out of the title fight this season. However, he denied it would influence any decision about his future. 'No, it doesn't, really,' he said. 'I don't think it will matter at all for my decision in the future. The last one and a half years have not been where we want to be. Now we try and be more competitive.' Horner was replaced by Laurent Mekies, the principal of their sister team, Racing Bulls, who will face the media for the first time on Friday. Lewis Hamilton, who joined F1 just two years after Horner took over at Red Bull, paid tribute to what he had achieved. 'The team has been incredible, to see the progress,' he said. 'I sat with Christian back in 2005. I remember sitting in his office, I was in Formula Three but looking to go into GP2 for its first year and I remember sitting with him. 'I won't say we hit it off from the get-go but to have seen his progression and his career, it was clearly remarkable what he did with the team, with a huge group of amazing people. And to really run an organisation that big and that well takes talent and skill, and that's what he brought to the team.'
New York Times
14-07-2025
- Automotive
- New York Times
Red Bull after Christian Horner: Why F1 concern runs beyond Verstappen's future
For the first time in Red Bull Racing's Formula One history, it has a new team principal. Christian Horner stood at the team's helm for the past 20 years, since Red Bull took over the Jaguar squad ahead of the 2005 season, and weathered the swings between championship-winning and dominance highs from Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen, to the lows of an underperforming car and off-track issues. Lately, these covered sexual misconduct investigations and apparent power struggles. Advertisement But parent company Red Bull GmbH has reached the point where it is ready for a change, releasing the 51-year-old from his duties as CEO and team principal of Red Bull Racing last Wednesday. It was a shocking move that rocked the F1 world just days after the 2025 British Grand Prix — the halfway mark of the 24-race season. Red Bull currently sits fourth in the constructors' standings with 172 points, far ahead of fifth-place Williams but 38 points off third-place Mercedes. The vast majority of Red Bull's points total comes from Verstappen (165 to be exact), and given McLaren's dominance and Red Bull's car issues to this point, it's looking unlikely the Dutchman will contend for another title this term, let alone the Milton Keynes-based team. Horner's sacking raised many questions, and as Laurent Mekies makes the switch from leading sister team Racing Bulls to now being the CEO and team principal of Red Bull Racing, one of the biggest questions at the top of everyone's mind centers on what comes next, particularly as Verstappen's racing future remains a major unknown. 'You've got a problem, change your f***ing car.' That comment from Horner to Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff at the 2022 Canadian GP was captured on 'Drive to Survive' for the fifth series of the Netflix docuseries hit. It went viral at the time and has popped up on social media once again in the wake of Horner's sacking. And the message isn't wrong, as it's exactly what Red Bull needs to do this year. The regulations changed ahead of the 2022 season. The aim was to improve racing by reducing dirty air with ground-effect cars and Red Bull nailed it. That year, it won its first constructors' championship since 2013, with Verstappen taking his second consecutive drivers' championship. And the gap wasn't close for either title. Advertisement Red Bull then ran it back for a dominant, record-breaking 2023 season that saw Verstappen win 19 out of 22 grands prix. The team seemed (mostly) unbeatable, practically untouchable. And most people anticipated that Red Bull would dominate once again in 2024. It started fast but was clearly overhauled by McLaren. Simultaneously, notable names that were big parts of making Red Bull a championship-caliber team began leaving. Rob Marshall, the chief engineering officer, left at the end of the 2023 season for McLaren, after being at Red Bull for 17 years. He was the chief designer from 2006 to 2016, which included Vettel's run of four drivers' championships and Red Bull's first four constructors' titles. In May 2024, news broke that legendary designer Adrian Newey would leave the team after 19 years as its technical officer. He later signed for Aston Martin. On August 1, 2024, Red Bull announced that Jonathan Wheatley, its sporting director, would leave to become Sauber's team principal ahead of its transformation to become Audi in 2026. He had been at Red Bull since 2006. And in September 2024, McLaren announced that it had signed Will Courtenay, Red Bull's head of strategy, as its sporting director, though he'll have to wait to join the reigning constructors' champion until midway through next year. Horner is now the latest figure to depart, all while Red Bull's performance continues to dwindle. While this move could help calm political waters, issues remain with the car. This includes an ongoing struggle to find the right handling balance for the drivers — a problem that's carried over from last season. But the team is up against a ticking clock until it needs to fully switch its focus to producing its 2026 car, given the regulations are changing again. At some point this season, teams will be stuck with their current designs. Advertisement As of last week, The Athletic understands that Red Bull still has planned upgrades to come, as Verstappen is still mathematically in the championship fight with half of the season to go. There are 12 grands prix and four sprint races remaining, and the Dutchman is 69 points off the championship leader, Oscar Piastri. But it's still a steep comeback to make, particularly given McLaren's current performance. To put this into context: In 2022, Verstappen bounced back from being 46 points down to Leclerc, with 19 grands prix and three sprint races to go. But given Ferrari's issues and Leclerc's mistakes that season, Leclerc realized the title likely was gone by the Belgian GP, with eight races to go. The 2022 Red Bull was also a far superior car package once the team had reduced its weight after the initial races that year. Red Bull is simultaneously focused on designing its challenger for next season, with Horner saying after the British GP that '90 percent of the focus is now on' that project. The cars next season will become slightly lighter and nimbler compared to the current designs, while their engines will utilize more electrical power. The fuels are changing, too, to 100 percent sustainable fuels. It's a clean sheet for the teams and it's unknown what the pecking order will be next season. Plus, there are power unit changes across the grid, such as how Alpine will switch from using Renault engines to Mercedes units, while Red Bull will have its own engine, developed in partnership with Ford. Coming in as a new power unit manufacturer brings another level of pressure, something Red Bull is already under as Verstappen's racing future remains uncertain. To keep a driver that's highly regarded, a team need a competitive car. Vettel left Red Bull for Ferrari after the significant regulation change in 2014, where Red Bull struggled. That year, the Renault engine it was using was underperforming compared to the power produced by the dominant Mercedes engine. 'I remember Dietrich Mateschitz telling me at the time that we don't need the best driver if we don't have the best car. At that stage, it was about building a team,' Horner said in a news conference during the British GP weekend. 'Things go in cycles and sport goes in cycles. We've had two incredibly successful cycles in Formula One. And what we want to do is build towards the next cycle. Now, of course, we want that to be with Max, but we understand the pressure that there is next year, with us coming in as a new power unit manufacturer. 'That challenge is enormous.' There's been clear tension between Verstappen's camp, primarily his father Jos, and Horner over the past 18 months, and it's not a given that Red Bull sacking Horner will guarantee the Dutchman will stay, even for 2026. What could keep him is the team delivering a fast and competitive car. Verstappen is under contract with Red Bull until 2028, though he has batted away questions about whether he will stay for the duration and hasn't directly stated he'll race for Red Bull next season. The farthest he's gone is when asked whether it would be risky to switch teams ahead of a new regulation set. Verstappen responded, 'That's why I'm contracted to Red Bull.' Advertisement It would be a significant gamble if Verstappen left for another team next season. Aside from the uncertainty of the 2026 pecking order and how each team and driver will adapt to the new regulations, it would mean leaving an organization where he is very well set. Verstappen has been part of the Red Bull family since he joined its junior driver program in 2014 and made his F1 debut with what was then called Toro Rosso a year later. He'd have to adapt to how another team operates and determine where or how he fits, like Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari and Carlos Sainz at Williams this year. This can be a lengthy process, even for highly rated drivers. The unknowns for next season are high. Horner said during the British GP weekend, 'To expect us to be ahead of Mercedes next year is… It would be embarrassing for Mercedes if we were. Or for any manufacturer. But I think we're going to be in a competitive position, potentially even (compared) to where we are today relative to other PU manufacturers. There's everything to play for.' Red Bull also needs to design a car that two drivers can use to compete. Verstappen has managed to drive around the team's issues for some time, but has struggled. The troubles really started becoming evident midway through last year and it is most obvious with Red Bull's second seat. Sergio Pérez's performance spiraled last year, leading to his exit at 2024's end. His replacement, Liam Lawson, was himself replaced by Yuki Tsunoda after just two races. The Japanese driver has since struggled as well, only scoring seven points in 10 races. Red Bull's second seat went from contributing a third of the team's points in 2023 to barely a twentieth in 2025 so far. But the imbalance had been there for years beforehand. Not having both drivers fighting hurts a team's championship chances, especially when it's up against a rival that's nailed the car and driver lineup, such as McLaren right now. As much as the focus is on Verstappen and the present, Red Bull's future needs to be considered, particularly as it goes through another rebuilding period. When Andrea Stella was promoted to McLaren team principal, it took 18 months for things to click. And Fred Vasseur is still working on it at Ferrari. Verstappen won't stay forever. While he has been a key part of Red Bull for nearly a decade now, one day he will leave, whether in retirement or to join another team. Red Bull has historically had a deep junior pool and Lawson or his Racing Bulls teammate Isack Hadjar could be possible options if a seat at the senior team opens up again. And then there's the case of Formula Two racer Arvid Lindblad, who received his super license in June of this year. Advertisement As Horner said, 'Hopefully that won't be for several years to come, but you never know. So, you're always investing in young talent, you're always giving opportunities like we did (during Silverstone FP1) with Lindblad, to see the next generation coming through. 'Because one thing is for sure in this business, nothing stands still.' (Top image:)
Daily Mail
11-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Sacked Christian Horner 'in line for £66MILLION Red Bull pay-off' after bosses axed his £12m-a-year contract almost six years early to get him out
Christian Horner is reportedly in line for a bumper pay-out after being sacked as team principal by Red Bull this week. The 51-year-old was relieved of his duties after 20 years in charge of the constructor, which under his aegis won eight drivers' championships and six constructors' championships. Horner's sacking came a year and a half after the former team principal was caught up in a media controversy that threatened to engulf the entire team. The 51-year-old was accused of sexual harassment and coercive and controlling behaviour by a female employee following the revelation of alleged sex texts sent by the Red Bull boss, who is married to former Spice Girl Geri Haliwell. He was twice cleared, initially after an internal investigation conducted by a lawyer, and then by another lawyer who dismissed the female employee's appeal. Horner has strongly denied the claims. But while Red Bull backed their man throughout the unfolding saga in 2024, relations have undoubtedly cooled in the following months - with the constructor's parent company Red Bull GmbH believed to be willing to pay a staggering pay-out to close the door on Horner's tenure. Christian Horner could be in line for a bumper pay out after being sacked by Red Bull this week The former Red Bull team principal - with his Spice Girl wife Geri Halliwell - was the highest-paid boss on the Formula One grid Horner oversaw a period of smash success, with Max Verstappen winning the last four drivers' championships As per Telegraph Sport, Horner's lawyers are currently in the midst of agreeing a suitable settlement for the Briton, after Red Bull called time on his lengthy contract. Horner was contracted at the constructor for a further five-and-a-half years, with his multi-million-pound deal due to finish in 2030. As per the latest accounts available for Red Bull Technology Ltd, after receiving an 11 per cent pay rise in 2023 when he signed new terms, his annual salary rose from £8.04million to £8.92m. However, it is thought that this may have risen even more after the constructor won yet another drivers' championship at the end of last season, with some estimating the number to be close to the £12m-mark. With lawyers likely to push for the remainder of his contract to be paid out in full, Horner could be in line for a staggering £66m-plus deal to finally cut ties with his former role. During his farewell speech at the constructor's Milton Keynes base, Horner noted that he would continue some involvement with the team that he built from the very beginning. But, Horner added, 'operationally the baton will be handed over'. Horner's dismissal is believed to have stemmed from the end of the dominance of Thai faction in Red Bull's parent company ownership. Documents filed to the Regional Court of Salzburg in Austria this May revealed that Chalerm Yoovidhya - the son of Red Bull co-founder Chaleo Yoovidhya - had his unique two percent stake deleted. Horner was despatched effective immediately on Wednesday halfway through the season Previously Horner had the valuable support of Thai co-owner Chalerm Yoovidhya (left) Chaleo and Austrian co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz each held a 49 per cent stake in the company, with Yoovidhya's two per cent allowing for additional decision-making within the set-up. Yoovidhya is believed to have been a key ally of Horner, and publicly threw his support behind his team principal amid the unfolding controversy last year. Mark Mateschitz, who holds his father's shares in the wake of his death in 2022, was thought to have withdrawn his support for the embattled team principal. But with the deletion of his stake, the two per cent has transferred to Swiss investment company Fides Trustees, 'an independent boutique Trust company that strives to deliver excellent service combined with a prudent yet entrepreneurial approach to Trust and Corporate services', as per its website. With the Thai and Austrian ownership groups now equally weighted as stakeholders, this may have cleared a pathway for Horner's dismissal. Wholesale changes are thought to be afoot at the constructor, with news breaking on Thursday that alongside Horner, a number of his key allies within the team have been moved on. Employees close to Horner and in some cases hired by the 51-year-old are set to go as incoming team principal Laurent Mekies seeks to stamp his own vision on the constructor.
