Laurent Mekies and Christian Horner couldn’t be more different in how they approach their jobs. Mekies is rooted in engineering, while Horner’s path to team leadership began behind the wheel.
Mekies also prefers to stay out of the spotlight, unlike Horner, who embraced the ‘pantomime villain’ label during his time at Red Bull. That attitude didn’t help his standing with ownership once their dominance under the ground-effect regulations started to wane.
Over 20 years with Red Bull, Horner guided the team to 14 world championships – eight drivers’ titles and six constructors’ crowns – making him one of the most successful team bosses in Formula 1 history.
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Mekies won’t have a realistic shot at a championship until at least 2026, especially with Max Verstappen’s chances slipping away this season. Many within Red Bull still hold respect for what Horner accomplished, though some quietly admit there were issues towards the end of his tenure.
According to ESPN’s Nate Saunders on the Nailing the Apex podcast, Horner’s approach shifted as he began to insert himself into more areas of the team, reportedly as a way to strengthen his grip on power. One of his earlier strengths had been his ability to trust others and delegate.
Saunders noted that Horner started getting involved in technical matters where he didn’t have a strong background. In contrast, Mekies has received praise for refining Red Bull’s engineering structure and processes.
Adrian Newey joined soon after Horner and led car design until leaving in spring 2024. That might have influenced some of the changes within the team.
“The big rap on Horner at the end was that he was maybe overreaching his power a little bit,” said Saunders. “He was trying to grab a bit [more].
“From what I’ve heard from people at the team, the negative [impact] that had on the team was that Christian Horner did not have a technical background.
“As good as he was as a team manager and a leader of that team for so long, one of the things he did so well was delegate to people that knew better than him.
“In the end, he was interjecting a bit too much in areas where his experience wasn’t that great.”
Christian Horner reportedly set for Alpine move in 2027
It’s worth noting that Horner approved the Monza floor upgrade, which turned Verstappen’s season around. The Dutchman went on to win three out of four races and put himself back in the championship fight.
But while Horner wanted to pause development after that, Mekies pushed for continued upgrades, believing it wouldn’t hurt the team in the following year. And so far, that approach appears to be paying off.
Horner was let go from his role at Red Bull but secured a settlement that allows him to return to Formula 1 next spring.
There are now rumours linking him with Alpine, not as a team principal but as an investor. That move isn’t expected to happen before 2027.
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