Fifteen months after he walked into the hottest seat in Formula 1, Laurent Mekies has been told the job is his for the long haul. Red Bull confirmed on Wednesday that the Frenchman will remain both team boss and CEO through the 2031 season.
It is a striking show of faith given where the season began. The 2026 rules reset, combined with Red Bull’s debut as an engine manufacturer, left the team off the pace early on. Steady upgrades have since turned things round: Max Verstappen took pole and the win in both Malaysia and Singapore, and Red Bull now sit fourth in the constructors’ standings, just seven points behind McLaren with six rounds to go.
The team’s two owners, Chalerm Yoovidhya and Mark Mateschitz, praised how he had guided Milton Keynes through a time of upheaval, while Oliver Mintzlaff, who oversees the F1 programme, described continuity at the top as a key ingredient for success. Mekies thanked all three and credited the technical and powertrain departments led by Pierre Waché and Ben Hodgkinson, insisting the best is still to come.
Life after Horner
The 49-year-old replaced Christian Horner in July 2025, ending a 20-year reign that closed with Horner’s dismissal. Mekies arrived with an unusually broad CV: spells at the FIA, roles as sporting and then racing director at Ferrari, and a stint running sister team Racing Bulls from 2024.
His extension completes a run of long-term decisions. Verstappen signed through 2030 in August and Isack Hadjar has been confirmed alongside him for 2027. Next up is the race in Austin, Texas, where Red Bull will hope the momentum holds.
