Red Bull could clinch their first Formula 1 title without Christian Horner as soon as this weekend. Max Verstappen heads into the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix trailing Lando Norris by 12 points in the drivers’ standings.
Laurent Mekies has played down his role in the team’s resurgence, but inside Red Bull, there is growing recognition that his leadership has made a difference.
After Horner’s departure following the British Grand Prix, Verstappen was 69 points behind in the title race and Red Bull were sitting fourth in the constructors’ standings. At that stage, few gave him much chance of turning things around. But that is what has happened since then.
The Dutchman now has a realistic shot at his fifth title, and Red Bull are in a strong position to finish above Ferrari for third place in the constructors’ standings.
Max Verstappen shares message for Christian Horner
Verstappen was speaking to BBC Sport ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where he took a moment to recognise what Horner had done for Red Bull during his time in charge.
The Briton’s time at the team saw them win eight drivers’ titles and six constructors’ championships, including Verstappen’s first title at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Even though he has not lost a championship since then, the Dutchman began to notice Red Bull slipping behind rivals last season. The shareholders felt the team was not operating as it should and decided it was time for a major change.
Verstappen told Andrew Benson: “The first thing that I want to say is that I always had a great relationship with Christian. And still to this day, a lot of people, we appreciate what he has done for the team.
“When I joined, Christian was already there for a much longer time. The win that we had here in 2021, the emotions, and that night as well, that’s stuff people will never take away from us.
“The team was in a tough time already in ’24 a bit. And it didn’t really seem to improve. And at one point, the shareholders wanted a different direction.
“When you look back at it, of course, it’s a big shock. But at the same time, when you look at other sports, when sometimes a team has been functioning for a very long time, very well, and then at one point it’s not, and there’s not really also a clear direction out of it, sometimes management makes a big change.”
Max Verstappen: Laurent Mekies has a more technical approach than Christian Horner
According to reports, Verstappen was consulted directly by Red Bull shareholders about the Horner decision, while other drivers were simply notified after the fact.
Speaking about Mekies, the Dutch star pointed out that F1 is shifting towards team bosses with stronger engineering backgrounds, something that now only Mercedes have avoided.
“Very different personality. I get along very well with Laurent as well. He’s a bit more technically involved in the team.
“And you can see that probably in other teams as well that that has been a bit the trend. People are changing into a bit more of a technical role as a team boss.”
He added: “Maybe more questions were asked on the technical side of things.”
On the other hand, Verstappen noted that F1 feels ‘too friendly’ without Horner, who was known for creating some of the sport’s most memorable rivalries. Horner will be eligible to return to the paddock next spring.
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