Just earlier this week, Christian Horner was relieved of his duties as team principal and CEO of Red Bull Racing. He has been at the helm of the team since Red Bull Racing was established in 2005. Ever since the controversy surrounding Horner and the team’s decline in performance started last season, it was believed his sacking was coming soon.
The timing of the move is considered to be odd, given the fact that there are still two more races to go until the annual summer break. In the meantime, Laurent Mekies is set to take over as Red Bull team principal and CEO of Red Bull racing with immediate effect. Mekies is no stranger to the Red Bull family, having been with Toro Rosso from 2006 to 2014 before returning to Racing Bulls in 2024.
Leadership under the Frenchman will be quite different compared to the Horner era, but it is yet to be determined whether it will be for better or worse. It may be difficult to judge Mekies based on next season as well, given the fact that Horner spearheaded the Red Bull and Ford powertrain project and we are just six months away from the start of pre-season testing. However, there is still some upside to the change in power.
There is one person who may benefit greatly
Yuki Tsunoda’s future in Formula 1 could be saved with the arrival of Mekies. Under the tenure of Horner, it was practically a guarantee that the Japanese driver was going to get dropped, given the fact that Honda would be leaving the team after 2025 as well.
The Red Bull leadership has been very strict with their second drivers, as Sergio Perez, Liam Lawson, and Yuki Tsunoda have all struggled mightily when judging the team’s performance over the last 18 months. It only added support for the claim that Red Bull’s car is very Max Verstappen-centric.
As Mekies watched from afar as team principal of Racing Bulls since the start of last season, he has watched Lawson and Tsunoda struggle. Yet given the fact that both did quite well putting RB in the points fairly regularly, Mekies may believe that there are some other issues with the Red Bull car for anyone not named Max Verstappen.
The new Red Bull Racing CEO may be willing to give Tsunoda the benefit of the doubt as the team moves closer to finalizing their driver lineup for 2026. Tsunoda may have better chances of retaining his position if Verstappen chooses to join Mercedes. However, it may turn into a swap deal, where George Russell comes the other way.
Nevertheless, the arrival of Mekies will boost Tsunoda’s likeness within the team and will be crucial in him having a drive for 2026. While Helmut Marko will still have his say in the team, Mekies may look to operate more independently compared to his predecessor.