2025 Formula 1 Team Principal: Laurent Mekies

Editor-in-Chief, Paul Velasco and Editor, Jad Mallak, agree on this Award, justifying it by highlighting how he was thrust into the role after the removal of Christian Horner. Mekies inherited a fractured organisation, depleted morale, and a title challenge that appeared to be slipping away.

Rather than overhaul structures, Mekies simplified them. He refocused Red Bull Racing around its most valuable asset, Max Verstappen, restored internal trust, and removed distractions that had undermined performance in the first half of the season. The results were immediate and emphatic.

Under his leadership, Red Bull mounted a late-season resurgence, slashing a 104-point deficit to just 2 by the finale. While Andrea Stella earned praise for calm excellence at McLaren, the scale, timing, and impact of Mekies’ turnaround set him apart. In the highest-pressure scenario imaginable, Mekies delivered clarity, unity, and results.

Jad Mallak: "I have a soft spot for Andrea Stella. Calm, no nonsense, engineering-led. But Laurent Mekies was thrown into the deep end, replacing Horner. He stabilised Red Bull, rebuilt morale, centred the team around Max, and oversaw a comeback from 104 points down to 2. For that alone, Mekies is my Team Principal of the Year."

Paul Velasco: "I agree. Stella is superb, but Mekies was sensational under pressure. Full respect for what he did to turn around the total sh!tshow that Horner left in his wake.

"Mekies realised the basics of running an F1 team from day one, focusing on Verstappen's needs and then galvanising the 'backroom staff' to deliver a weapon that almost earned them the 2025 F1 title. They never gave up.

"And Mekies was clearly an F1 team principal more interested in the Red Bull Racing team than his predecessor, who seemed to have other things on his mind. He deserves the accolade."