Red Bull’s new team principal Laurent Mekies has outlined the key contrast between managing a front-running Formula 1 outfit and a midfield team, pointing to the relentless demand for victories as the defining factor.
Mekies stepped into the role last month after Christian Horner’s sudden departure, having previously spent 18 months leading the Faenza-based Racing Bulls squad. While both operations share technical ties, the Frenchman says the pressures of managing them are worlds apart.
Speaking to reporters recently, the Frenchman explained the uncompromising culture that comes with leading a top team like Red Bull Racing.
“We don’t underestimate what is ahead of us,” Mekies said. “A top team has a target to win and the biggest difference with the competition in the midfield is that, at every race weekend, you come back and there is only one answer: did you win or did you not?
“That sets the level of expectation of everyone, that sets also the level of pushing that you need to apply to every single sector to compete. So we enjoy that, Red Bull Racing enjoys that.”
Unusually, Red Bull has found itself in unfamiliar territory this season, struggling to mount a serious championship challenge for the first time since 2020.
Resilience Through a Difficult Period
Despite the dip in form, Mekies insisted the team’s determination remains unshaken, with a shared hunger to fight back to the front.
“If you walk into the factory, you will find people who are only there to win and it’s a very strong feeling,” he said.
“Resilience is important in this sport, and you get weekends where you feel the world is not going the way you would like it to be.
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“But there are so many talents, so many skills, so much experience in the team that we all very well know, outside of the noise of the race track, we very well know that we will make steps.
“It is not overwhelming. It’s a sentiment that we all went through more often than not, and I’m sure it will be the fuel for the future success of the team.”
For Mekies, the shift from Racing Bulls to Red Bull Racing is more than a step up in resources – it is about embracing the mindset of a team that considers anything less than victory a shortfall.
However, with resilience, talent, and experience on its side, not to mention the extraordinary skills of one Max Verstappen, he believes Red Bull has the ingredients to turn its current struggles into renewed success.
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