Red Bull's Laurent Mekies on Leaving Ferrari and the Challenge Ahead

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has revealed that a desire to step out of his comfort zone and the opportunity to lead a team were the key factors in his decision to leave Ferrari, where he had a strong working relationship with Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur.

Why it matters:

Mekies's career move highlights the intense competition for top leadership talent in Formula 1 and the personal ambition that drives key personnel changes. His departure from Ferrari and subsequent rapid rise to the helm of Red Bull underscores how pivotal these decisions are for both individual careers and the competitive dynamics between the sport's biggest teams.

The details:

• Mekies joined Ferrari as Sporting Director in 2018 after a long tenure at the FIA and left the team in July 2023.
• He described his time at Maranello as a "fantastic experience" where he learned an enormous amount, first under Mattia Binotto and later with Frédéric Vasseur, with whom he shared a close relationship.
• Despite this, he stated he is "not the kind of person who settles into a comfort zone" and could not pass up the offer to become team principal of Racing Bulls (now Visa Cash App RB), a role he assumed in January 2024.
• After a year and a half there, he was promoted to Red Bull team principal following Christian Horner's departure this summer, narrowly missing out on the championship in his first half-season in charge.

The big picture:

Mekies's comments come after a disappointing 2025 season for Ferrari, which finished fourth in the Constructors' Championship without a win despite the high-profile arrival of Lewis Hamilton. When asked if he was surprised by Ferrari's struggles, Mekies pointed to F1's ultra-competitive nature, noting that "the line between success and failure is very thin, especially this year when just a few tenths made all the difference."

What's next:

Mekies now faces the monumental task of guiding Red Bull through the 2026 regulatory transition. The team will rely entirely on its in-house Red Bull Powertrains division following Honda's departure, developing both a new power unit and a radically different car. His ability to manage this dual technical challenge will be critical to Red Bull's future success.