Laurent Mekies: relishing Red Bull challenge
From F1 Beyond The Grid by Formula 1
March 31, 2026 · 49 min
About this episode
Laurent Mekies discusses the challenges faced by Red Bull Racing and the decision-making process regarding their car development for the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
Red Bull Racing were at a crossroads when Laurent Mekies took over as Team Principal halfway through 2025. After a difficult first half of the season, should they continue working on their 2025 car or write that year off and prioritise the new regulations for 2026? Their decision to stay focussed on the ‘25 car paid off, with Max Verstappen going from more than 100 points behind to missing out on the title by just two points. But in this new era of Formula 1, Red Bull have fallen down the pecking order after a difficult start to the season. Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Laurent explains why they didn’t switch full focus to 2026 earlier and whether they’re now paying the price for last year’s turnaround. Laurent also talks about how different his experience as a Team Principal is at Red Bull compared to Racing Bulls. He shares insight into what Max Verstappen is like outside of the car, the Dutchman’s future with the team and how Isack Hadjar is settling into his new surroundings. Plus, with Red Bull making their own power units for the first time this year, Laurent tells Tom why he describes their Powertrains project as a ‘crazy challenge’ that only a team like Red Bull could take…
People in this episode
Host: Tom Clarkson
Guest: Laurent Mekies
Topics covered
- Red Bull Racing
- Formula 1
- Team Principal
- 2025 car
- 2026 regulations
- Max Verstappen
- Powertrains project
Keywords
- Red Bull Racing
- Laurent Mekies
- Max Verstappen
- Formula 1
- 2025 car
- 2026 regulations
- Powertrains project
Sponsors
CarGurus
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Red Bull Racing
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