Ford linked up with Red Bull ahead of the 2023 season, but as their power unit debut nears, the team has undergone a complete transformation.
Adrian Newey, whose designs helped shape the team’s success, resigned in early 2024. Around the same time, Helmut Marko, one of the original figures behind Red Bull’s F1 entry, also departed by mutual agreement.
The biggest shift came last July when Christian Horner was dismissed after two decades at the helm. Horner had been instrumental in securing Ford’s involvement but never got to oversee its rollout.
He was replaced by Laurent Mekies, who previously led Racing Bulls. Mekies made a solid first impression and oversaw Max Verstappen’s impressive title comeback attempt last season.
Red Bull Have ‘Completely Changed’ Under Mekies, Says Ford CEO Jim Farley
Ford boss Jim Farley says Red Bull were a very different team when he first sat down for talks with them about a partnership.
Back then, Christian Horner was still in charge, and the team was at the height of its dominance. Between 2021 and 2024, Horner’s side won four straight championships with Verstappen. That period matched his earlier success with Sebastian Vettel in the early 2010s.
But that era wasn’t without issues. Verstappen’s first title came in controversial circumstances after FIA race director Michael Masi made a major error in Abu Dhabi. Then there was the minor cost cap breach that followed shortly after.
Mekies has been steering Red Bull away from that image. The narrative is shifting under his leadership.
Speaking to The Fast and the Curious podcast, Farley explained: “I thought Red Bull was the right flavour of the paddock, the part of the paddock that was different.”
“What we like about this team is the unexpected part. The last four years, the opposite happened – they became big and successful and world champions and establishment,” he continued.
“Yes, they had won a lot of races before but there was controversy. Now we’ve emerged into another era of Red Bull, with Laurent [Mekies], Max [Verstappen], regulations changing for 2026 and McLaren re-emerging as one of those teams at the top – it’s now a totally different reality.”
Ford May Find Verstappen’s Temper a Surprise
In an interview with Sky Sports, Farley praised Verstappen for staying composed during the 2025 season. He seems confident that the Dutchman will remain patient even if Red Bull struggle early on in the new era.
Verstappen has helped ease some of the pressure around Red Bull by confirming his intention to honour his contract, regardless of how competitive the car is at the start of 2026.
“What I’d like to highlight about Max is that he never lost his cool,” said Farley. “When everything was challenging in the middle part of the season, he was focused on getting better.
“I give him so much credit as a champion. He really showed his true colours last year.”
While Verstappen has grown more composed over time, it’s fair to say he still has moments where emotions get the better of him. That was especially true early in his career, though it hasn’t fully disappeared from his game.
The most high-profile example came at last year’s Spanish Grand Prix when he received a 10-second penalty for colliding with George Russell—a moment even Verstappen admitted was a mistake. It ended up costing him valuable points in the title race against Norris.
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