Mekies says Red Bull is “at war” — the good kind — as it hunts its way back to the front
Laurent Mekies has only just stepped into the big chair at Red Bull, but he’s already called the mood. The new team boss describes Milton Keynes as “at war,” not in meltdown, but in that flat‑out, elbows‑up mode that built its reputation. And that, he says, is exactly what’s needed.
Since Mekies’ appointment in July following Christian Horner’s sudden exit, Red Bull has found itself staring at a McLaren that’s set the pace more often than not, with Mercedes and Ferrari muscling into the conversation. It’s unfamiliar territory for an organisation that’s spent years dictating the narrative. The reaction inside the factory? Double down.
“All I’ve been seeing is extraordinary talent and an incredible racing spirit,” Mekies told media. “There isn’t a single department easing off. They’re at war — in the good sense — in every area.”
Mekies’ read on the task is straightforward: empower the people who already know how to win, strip out the noise, and get back to the team’s core strengths. He’s not parachuting in a revolution so much as sharpening a machine that’s gone a touch blunt under sustained pressure.
“Our job is to make sure these women and men have everything they need to express themselves at their best,” he said. “You don’t see weaknesses here. You see desire — a lot of it — to bring the Red Bull energy back, tune out the outside chatter, and just race.”
That short-term push runs alongside a far bigger play. The 2026 reset looms, when sweeping technical rules arrive and Red Bull’s own power unit, built with Ford, rolls into service. Mekies frames that as the moment a new era begins — not just for them, but for everyone.
“Red Bull has had two incredible eras of success,” he noted. “The next one will be dictated by the regulation change and by the decision to go with our own power unit with Ford. Whether we want it or not, that sets the start of a new era — for all the teams, given the scale of what’s coming.”
The subtext is clear. Red Bull can’t afford to wait for 2026 to rescue its form, but it also can’t ignore that everything from aero philosophy to engine integration is about to be rewritten. Mekies’ balancing act is to recover punch now while building a platform that doesn’t miss when the starting gun fires on the new rules.
For a team that’s thrived on being relentlessly aggressive, “at war” sounds about right. If the tone inside Red Bull is as focused as Mekies suggests, expect the response to come not in grand pronouncements, but quietly, upgrade by upgrade — the way serial winners usually do it.
