Mekies' Growing Influence at Red Bull
Laurent Mekies has made an impressive impact since stepping in as Red Bull team principal in July. His leadership transformed the team's season, with Max Verstappen overturning his own doubts about title chances following a streak of victories. Heading into the Brazilian Grand Prix, Verstappen trails the championship leader by only 35 points.
Team Performance and Driver Development
Red Bull is now competing for second place in the constructors' championship, a significant improvement from their earlier position near fourth. Mekies has contributed to Yuki Tsunoda's progress by ensuring both cars have equal specifications, though he expects further improvement from his second driver.
Leadership Style and Team Dynamics
While Mekies downplays his role—Christian Horner had approved a key Monza floor upgrade credited with sparking Red Bull’s resurgence—colleagues praise him for simplifying team operations and restoring harmony within the group. Unlike Horner, who had wanted to pause 2025 car development after the Italian GP upgrade, Mekies continues to aggressively push performance improvements. This approach places expected pressure on McLaren despite upcoming regulation changes.
Scope of Mekies' Role
Mekies was initially thought to have a limited scope, focusing strictly on racing performance. Unlike Horner, who held both team principal and CEO responsibilities, Mekies was expected to concentrate on the track without involvement in driver line-up decisions, which remain Helmut Marko's domain.
"Christian Horner approved the Monza floor upgrade that ignited the resurgence."
"The expectation was that driver line-up decisions would be the ‘sole domain’ of Helmut Marko."
Author's summary: Mekies is reshaping Red Bull through focused leadership and performance-driven decisions, subtly shifting internal dynamics while pushing the team forward amid looming regulatory changes.