Laurent Mekies has delivered a pointed rebuttal to Christian Horner's suggestion that Red Bull has lost its identity, insisting that the team has found something arguably more valuable than its former swagger since the Briton's departure: a renewed sense of unity and a collective determination to fight back.
Horner, who was unceremoniously removed from his position as CEO and team principal in July 2025 after two decades running the Milton Keynes operation, recently suggested that his former employer had lost more than just its winning touch.
In an interview with The Times, the former Red Bull boss claimed the team had “lost its mojo, its presence, it’s vibe” since his exit, an assessment that clearly failed to resonate with his successor.
Speaking during Friday's press conference at the Mexico City Grand Prix, Mekies was diplomatic enough to acknowledge Horner's right to an opinion, but made little secret of how differently he sees the atmosphere inside the team.
Mekies challenges Horner's verdict
The Frenchman, who inherited a team struggling with both performance and internal turbulence, pointed to the collective response at Milton Keynes as evidence that Red Bull's spirit remains very much intact.
“Look, first of all, Christian is entitled to his opinion. He obviously has spent a lot of time in this team and I respect his point of view,” the Frenchman said.
"We certainly feel extremely differently about the vibe in the team. One of the strong points we have been enjoying certainly in the last few months is the incredible team spirit that has allowed us to come back from an objectively very difficult moment.
"It's always one thing to have a positive spirit when you are winning races, it's something else to have that same fighting spirit and unity between the team members when you are put under pressure, and we certainly had a challenging first part of the year, on the chassis side and the PU side.
"The way the team stuck together, the way the team set the Milton Keynes department on fire to try to come back, and the way they have done that, it's such a challenging matter, from any of our team members to the brutally honest comments of our drivers. That's the Red Bull spirit and that's certainly how we feel we need to go racing.
"The guys got the reward they deserved with the turnaround that they have produced, which is very remarkable, but ultimately we are well aware that we live and die with our results.
"The target is not to win one race or two races; the target is to be back to world titles, and until we are there, nobody will feel we have achieved anything.”
No room for complacency at Milton Keynes
There is an unmistakable contrast between the two men's assessments. Horner sees a team that has lost some of the personality and authority it once projected.
Mekies, meanwhile, describes an organisation that has rediscovered its fighting instincts precisely when circumstances threatened to pull it apart.
Red Bull endured a difficult opening phase of the season, with significant issues on both the chassis and power unit fronts.
Mekies has nevertheless overseen a revival that has restored some competitive momentum and, perhaps more importantly, confidence within the organisation.
But the Frenchman was careful not to confuse a welcome recovery with the achievement of Red Bull's ultimate ambitions. Winning individual races, however satisfying, is not the benchmark by which Milton Keynes intends to measure its progress.
Red Bull may have rediscovered its fighting spirit, but Mekies knows that the team's reputation was built on championships, not merely spirited comebacks.
And until those titles return, the new boss clearly has little interest in declaring the mojo restored.
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