Red Bull's Laurent Mekies on Leaving Ferrari and the Team's 2026 Challenge
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies explains he left Ferrari to avoid a "comfort zone" and seize the opportunity to lead Racing Bulls. He now faces the daunting task of guiding Red Bull through its independent 2026 engine project after Honda's departure.
Laurent Mekies, now the team principal of Red Bull Racing, has revealed his reasons for departing Ferrari, citing a career opportunity he "couldn't afford to miss" and a personal drive to avoid comfort zones. He also outlined the stark reality of Red Bull's upcoming 2026 project as the team prepares to go it alone without Honda.
Why it matters:
Mekies's journey from Ferrari to leading F1's reigning champion team offers a rare insider's perspective on the high-stakes career moves within the sport's top echelons. His comments highlight the fine margins in F1 and the immense pressure on Red Bull to successfully navigate its first solo engine project, a transition that will define the team's competitive future post-Honda.
The details:
- Mekies described his time at Ferrari, which began in 2018, as a "fantastic experience" where he learned enormous amounts from former team principal Mattia Binotto.
- Despite having a close relationship with current boss Fred Vasseur and acknowledging that staying "would have been nice," he said he is not someone who settles into a comfort zone.
- The pivotal moment was being offered the team principal role at Racing Bulls (now VCARB), which he saw as an unmissable career opportunity.
- On Ferrari's disappointing 2024 season, which yielded no wins and fourth in the constructors' standings, Mekies said he wasn't surprised, noting that F1 is extremely competitive and the line between success and failure is very thin, often decided by mere tenths of a second.
The big picture:
Mekies's move underscores the fluid nature of F1 leadership and the pursuit of progression. After a year and a half at Racing Bulls, he stepped into the top role at Red Bull following Christian Horner's departure. His current challenge is monumental: steering Red Bull through the 2026 regulatory overhaul. The team is embarking on its ambitious Powertrains project to become a fully independent constructor, developing both a new chassis and its own power unit without Honda's support for the first time.
What's next:
All eyes are on Red Bull's 2026 project. The success of its in-house power unit development will be critical in determining whether the team can maintain its position at the front of the grid. Mekies's leadership will be tested as he manages this high-risk technical transition while aiming to keep the team in championship contention.