Laurent Mekies named Red Bull team principal after Horner exit

Red Bull Racing has appointed Laurent Mekies as its new team principal and chief executive, taking the reins after Christian Horner’s sudden departure two days after the British Grand Prix. Mekies, long involved with the team’s Racing Bulls operation and previously a senior figure at Ferrari and the FIA, said leading a frontrunner carries a different, higher-octane set of expectations than guiding a midfield outfit, highlighting an ongoing, relentless push for victory even as the season tests the team’s resilience.

The announcement comes amid a period of upheaval for Red Bull, a team that has dominated Formula 1 for more than a decade but has faced challenges this season that have tempered its championship trajectory. Horner’s exit ends a two-decade tenure during which he steered Red Bull to six constructors’ titles and eight drivers’ championships. Mekies stressed that while the new role represents a step up in resources and responsibility, it requires embracing a mindset in which anything less than a win is perceived as a shortfall, a philosophy he described as the defining trait of a top team.

In outlining his early approach, Mekies said the day-to-day reality of the job is...