The earthquake in Milton Keynes has brought Laurent Mekies to Red Bull: the Frenchman, once Ferrari’s deputy team principal, now takes the helm of the Austrian squad
“Christian Horner out at Red Bull”—this is the headline that echoed loudly just a few mornings ago, shocking F1 fans and insiders alike. The chaos that followed in Milton Keynes has reshuffled key leadership roles, paving the way for Laurent Mekies to step up from Visa Cash App Racing Bulls.
After a year and a half at the helm of the Faenza-based team—formerly AlphaTauri and now Visa Cash App Racing Bulls—Mekies has delivered results that have met, if not exceeded, expectations. Despite some misfortune and driver errors, the team arguably deserved more points. Just consider the tally: 46 points in 2024, a significant jump from the 25 scored in 2023.
The VCARB 02, the 2025 car, is also proving competitive, with 36 points already scored in the early part of the season. These performances are a testament to the quality of Mekies’ work—work that will now face its toughest test against none other than Ferrari, his former team, starting at Spa.
Laurent Mekies Named New Red Bull CEO: The Rise of Ferrari’s Former Deputy
Yes, another ex-Ferrari figure makes his way to the top. Mekies joins a long list of former Maranello personnel who’ve found success elsewhere: Andrea Stella, James Allison, Simone Resta, and even Mattia Binotto—now head of Sauber and set to lead Audi from 2026.
It was Binotto who pushed for Mekies’ arrival in Maranello back in late 2018, at the tail end of Maurizio Arrivabene’s tenure. Mekies was brought in as Sporting Director and later promoted to Deputy Team Principal in 2019. Before his Ferrari stint, he was a key figure at the FIA and one of the primary advocates for the Halo safety device.
However, following the disastrous pit wall management during the 2022 season—under Binotto’s leadership—Mekies was replaced by Fred Vasseur in 2023. Not long after, he found a new opportunity in Faenza, quickly rising to the role of team principal at VCARB.
Now, in the midst of Red Bull’s internal turmoil, Mekies has completed his rise to the top. The responsibility is immense—not so much for the remainder of a 2025 season that seems largely settled for Verstappen and Co., but for 2026, a year of radical regulatory changes. It will fall to Laurent Mekies to guide Red Bull back to the top—consistently. The battles ahead? Against McLaren, and perhaps also Ferrari and Mercedes. With or without Max.
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