Laurent Mekies entered what would become his always-busy first press conference as principal of the Red Bull team with a shining smile on his face.
The FIA was originally able to check out the Mekies by selecting Williams’ James Voles before joining Jonathan Wheatley (Sauber) and Ayao Komatsu (Haas) during Friday’s team principal session. And Christian Horner’s alternative walked from behind the room, waving across the front row of the media, sharing a joke before sitting first.
The French may have faced a fierce two weeks of stepping into his new role, but he appears to have felt no effect as he is ready to outline his vision. Instead, he seemed to energize the situation he had found.
“All I’ve seen over the last two weeks is extraordinary talent and an incredible racing spirit,” explained Mekies. “These guys go to the edge in every way, and there is no department where you can see a bit of feeling behind or rested.
“So, what we’re trying to do is make sure that all these women and men, they have everything they need to express themselves at their best, that they are supported and that they have all the means they have to show their talent.
“I think they are showing that they are the best in the world after the season, or that if they aren’t, they’re very close. And you don’t see a weakness. You see a lot of desire to get that Red Bull energy, and maybe to reduce the outside noise to focus on the race. That’s what we’re trying to do together.”
That’s not to say that the Mekies were always very positive about Red Bull’s chances. He admitted that the call to take over from Horner came as shocking, and surprised him as long as he didn’t accept the position immediately.
“It wasn’t that different to you, really, guys,” he told the gathered press squad. “I got a call a few hours before you all noticed. I got a call from Oliver (Mintzlaf, CEO Red Bull) and Helmut (Marco, Teem Advisor) and they asked if I was interested in doing my job.
“I actually asked you to think about it for a few hours and hang up. It’s hard to digest. But the first thing that comes to mind is, “Wait a minute. It’s Red Bull. They’re calling you. They want you to do the job.”
“The first thing I thought of is also true of Christians at this moment, because that’s not what I could have hoped for, and he has not been very supportive with me for the past two years.
“It’s like a mix of emotions you get in that moment. But like I said, the dominant thing is: It’s Red Bull’s appeal. I think going to the brand is a matter of loyalty.
Friday may have been the first time Mekies has made public appearances in his new role, but he has been doing that responsibility in the factory for the past two weeks. Just as he needs to take a little time before making sure he gets the opportunity, he saw a similar response from Red Bull staff.
However, after the initial shock subsided, Mekies says they saw a team eager to turn their fortunes around after slipping into fourth from the dominant force a year ago in the Constructors Championship that arrived in Belgium.
“It’s true that the first 24 hours were a big adjustment because no one was expecting it. The first few hours after the announcement were a surprise to everyone and a digestive phase for everyone. After that, I found enormous support from everyone. They just want to show respect.
“Can we expect more support and openness from the people we’ve met over the past two weeks? No. Everyone is incredibly supportive, open the door, willing to speak, listen, listen and explain their limitations and strengths.
Job 1 of Mekies is clear enough: convince Verstappen that the grass is not green elsewhere. Ryan Pierce/Getty Images
This is the approach that Mekies feels is needed to help Red Bull retain its valuable assets. Max Verstappen is linked to movement elsewhere, but On Thursday he outlined his own desire to see car improvements He turns to the future under new leadership. That’s something the 48-year-old already understands, saying that if he gives him a machine to fight for more championships, he will succeed in maintaining Verstappen in Red Bull.
“In terms of priorities, I’m sure Max wants a fast car. If he gets a fast car, I’ll cancel all other considerations,” Mekies says. “So the real focus is being able to know the team as quickly as possible to see how we can support them, how we can build the next step in competitiveness to get a fast car and therefore easily call Max.”
Much of the topic was very similar to what Verstappen dealt with, but the Dutch said that looking back would not make the team faster, but Mekies revealed he was in touch with Horner.
According to Mekies, the man he replaced was the first text and the first to call after the news was confirmed, and the pair even spoke during the opening days of the race weekend at Spa-Francorchamps.
And on the same day Totowolf said he missed Horner. His presence and role within the F1 paddock are often cast as a villain, but Mekies admits that he doesn’t try to step directly into the same shoe.
“No one is going to replace his character, no one is going to replace him like he is,” he said. “I come in to do my main job with my CEO and my team. Is there a way to do that in the same way as Christians? No. At least, certainly not me.
“But we rely on the incredible strengths that this team has. Everyone is stepping up. It’s certainly an opportunity to look for even more empowerment for our people.”
The less improvements from within the team and the less controversy outside, the more it seems like a game plan in which Makeies tries to drown that external noise.
