Former Red Bull Racing (RBR) team principal Christian Horner was cut loose from the organization a few months ago, leaving the team to find a new leader midseason. Enter Laurent Mekies, former motorsports engineer, who stepped into the role as CEO in short order. Ford CEO Jim Farley says that Mekies has already proved invaluable to the automaker’s F1 deal, suggesting that he’s an even better fit than Horner ever was.
According to a report from Sky Sports, weighing in on Mekies’ time at the helm so far. Mekies’ leadership style is a sharp contrast to Horner’s, and that’s not a bad thing at all. Horner did not have the engineering experience that Mekies does, and that’s a huge boon for Ford and RBR.
“I came here because I’m a big believer to understand things with your eyes and ears and I can clearly see the impact Laurent’s had,” Farley said. “He’s a technical person which is exactly right for this change in 2026. He’s absolutely the right leader. We are completely behind him and I can really feel it with the team.”
Mekies, for his part, is looking forward to tackling the challenges ahead, which include new power unit regulations for 2026 and beyond.
“We do it the Red Bull-Ford way,” Mekies said. “Therefore, we do it at a top level in every area. It’s not about who is going to be the best team in Barcelona testing in January, but it’s about who will get the project right and who will develop the project.”
Farley is also thrilled that star driver Max Verstappen is sticking around with RBR, despite some rumors to the contrary, although he reiterated that Ford would stay committed to RBR regardless of personnel. However, while Farley expressed affection for driver Sergio Perez during initial talks with RBR, Perez is giving his expertise over to Cadillac starting in 2026.
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Eye Roll Of The Day.
Give it a rest, there are PLENTY of Karenmobiles on the market for you to buy.
It’s remarkable how Red Bull Racing—once Stewart-Ford and Jaguar—has turned into one of the most formidable F1 teams in history. Some journalists whisper that their engine may not quite match Mercedes next year. Only 2026 will reveal who was right.
What is clear today, though, is that Farley needs to invite M-Sport to the table—urgently. Their current WRC season has been, let’s say, less than flattering: the Puma keeps trailing, even though it remains the one European Ford still finding friends across the Atlantic. Next year’s Dakar? I’ll hazard a guess… victory won’t be theirs.
Maybe it’s time to consider whether Ford should keep drifting in WRC at all, or instead craft a “Win Level Agreement” with M-Sport—before the narrative writes itself.
Nice of Farley to dis Christian Homer in front of the world. Mr. Homer must have disagreed with Farley who only recognizes his way as the only way.
How many championships does Mekies have? How many does Horner have? I'm pretty sure we will learn very quickly next year that Red Bull is in trouble. Hey, they're FOURTH in Constructors' Championship points this year already without Horner.