Mekies: No one will replace Christian Horner like for like at Red Bull

Speaking during the Belgian Grand Prix FIA-hosted team principals’ press conference on Friday, Mekies confirmed he was given only a few hours’ notice before being asked to take over at the helm of Red Bull Racing. “It was not very different for me than it was for you.

“I got a call from Oliver [Mintzlaff] and Helmut [Marko], and they asked me if I would be interested to do the job. Obviously, it came out of the blue at that moment for me,” he said when asked how the change unfolded.

Mekies said he initially needed time to digest the offer: “I actually asked them to think about it for a few hours and hung up the phone. It’s difficult to digest. But the first thing that comes into your mind is: wait a second, it’s Red Bull. They are calling you. They ask you to step in to do that job. Of course, it’s an honour. It’s a privilege.”

He acknowledged the situation was emotionally complex, given Horner’s role in bringing him back into the Red Bull system: “First thought obviously goes in this moment as well to Christian because it’s not something I could have expected. He had been nothing else than extremely supportive with me these last two years. It’s not a secret that he’s the one with Oliver and Helmut who brought me back to the Red Bull family.”

Asked if he had spoken to Horner since taking over, Mekies confirmed the former team boss had reached out personally. “We have spoken. He has been nothing else than supportive even in the extremely difficult context for him. He was the first one to text, he was the first one to call.”

Mekies dismissed any suggestion that he could fill Horner’s exact role: “Nobody is going to replace his character. Nobody is going to replace him like for like. I come in to do the CEO and team principal job. Is there any way one can do it in the same way as Christian? No. Or at least, certainly not me.”

He instead sees the transition as a chance to empower others within Red Bull: “We will certainly look at this phase as a way to get our incredible people to step up and create together the next competitive advantage for the next regulation phase.”

On whether he was given an explanation for Horner’s dismissal, Mekies was clear: “The short answer is no, they haven’t. We didn’t get into the why and the why now, but they outlined the sort of objectives they had for the team moving forward.”

Former Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley, now team principal at Kick Sauber, was also asked about Horner’s departure. “Look at what Christian achieved in that team. Look what the team that he was part of achieved over the last twenty years. I want to say on a personal level that I wish Christian absolutely the very best in the future.”

Wheatley also acknowledged the leadership opportunity it created for Mekies and Alan Permane: “Honestly, out of everything comes something hugely positive, and I’m really, really pleased for Laurent and Alan.”

Two weeks into the role, Mekies said Red Bull staff had responded with unity and professionalism: “The first 24 hours were a big adjustment because nobody was expecting it. But after that, I’ve only been finding a huge amount of support from everyone. They just want to go racing.”

He added: “Everybody has been incredibly supportive, willing to open the door, willing to speak, to listen, to explain their limitations and strengths. That’s what I’ve found.”

Mekies dismissed suggestions that the team was in decline: “You do not see weaknesses. You see a lot of desire from everyone to get that Red Bull energy, perhaps to reduce the noise outside, just to concentrate on racing. That’s what we are going to try to do together.”

He also rejected the idea of a cultural shift at the team despite the change at the top: “Everybody loves the Red Bull energy. We all want to feel that energy. We all want to go racing. That’s what we all love, and that’s the basis of our culture. It’s a Red Bull culture. It’s a Red Bull energy: work hard, play hard, and try to only think about racing.”

The new team principal said his goal now is to focus Red Bull’s resources effectively: “One thing that is very high in our priorities is to make sure that we have the right focus, that we avoid any bottlenecking in the company at all levels. It’s a racing team. People in the team love racing. That’s going to be where the main focus is.”

Despite the scale of the changes, Mekies made one thing clear: “Red Bull F1 is here to fight for wins and to fight for championships.”