Latest news with #TeamPrincipalsPressConference
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Newsweek
McLaren Racing CEO Labels Christian Horner's Exit a 'Change for the Better' for F1
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has stated that Christian Horner's exit from Red Bull Racing is a "change for the better" for Formula One. Brown stressed that the sport is now "healthier" with Laurent Mekies, who replaced Horner after his exit. Brown and Horner's rivalry was a popular one in F1, as they often disagreed on matters such as the topic of Red Bull's sister team, Racing Bulls, which Brown alleged was dangerous because it gave Red Bull the liberty of manipulating competition through the ownership of a second team. Their rivalry reportedly peaked last year when Horner reported McLaren's alleged flexi rear wing to the FIA, which flexed under pressure at high speeds, creating a semi-DRS effect. Despite the wing being legal, McLaren was asked to change it, reportedly due to its controversial design. The reason for Horner's sudden ousting has not been revealed yet, but it has been reportedly linked to the team's dwindling performance in the last 12-18 months. Horner also faced an internal investigation at the start of the 2024 season after a female colleague reported him for inappropriate behavior, although he was cleared of any wrongdoing. Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner and McLaren Chief Executive Officer Zak Brown attend the Team Principals Press Conference prior to final practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of USA at Circuit of... Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner and McLaren Chief Executive Officer Zak Brown attend the Team Principals Press Conference prior to final practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of USA at Circuit of The Americas on October 22, 2022 in Austin, Texas. MoreMekies took on the charge at Red Bull with immediate effect, with the Belgian Grand Prix being his first race. Speaking to The Telegraph about the changes at Red Bull, Brown seemed pleased with Mekies. He said: "I'm happy Laurent's in the role he is in. I like Laurent, that'll be healthy, and maybe we can get back to focusing on competition on the track. "There's always going to be some political aspects to the sport, but I think it is going to be healthier with Laurent. I'm a fan of Laurent, I have known him for a long time, and it'll be good to go racing against him." Addressing the flexi wings saga from 2024, when McLaren was beating Red Bull on the track, Brown said: "It went too far. There's always going to be politicking in F1 – let's try and shut down their flexi-wings and that stuff, but when you start getting into frivolous allegations, that's just going too far. "If I look up and down pit lane now, I see us fighting each other hard politically, but the line is not being crossed, and that line got crossed before." Brown predicts that things will turn out to be better in the sport in Horner's absence. He added: "I think that we'll see a little bit of a change for the better. There's a higher level of trust that now if we sit down and have a conversation on a topic where we think there could be some confidentiality, and it's just not an automatic 'I'm going to use that as a political weapon'. "We're going to be in a better place, a little bit more unified, and a little bit more trusting that while we're fighting on track, we can have a conversation about what's good for the sport off it. And that won't get manipulated for political reasons and taken out of context."
Newsweek
28-07-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Mekies Reveals Last Minute Phone Call to Replace Horner as Red Bull F1 CEO
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. The new CEO and team principal of Red Bull Racing, Laurent Mekies, has opened up about the last-minute phone call he received about his promotion from the team's senior advisor, Helmut Marko, and the managing director of Red Bull GmbH, Oliver Mintzlaff, hours before the news of Christian Horner's ousting broke. Horner served Red Bull for 20 years as the team's first team principal, a partnership that saw eight drivers' titles and six Constructors' Championships. However, following a challenging period of around eighteen months, Red Bull decided to part ways with Horner. While the Milton Keynes-based team did not reveal the reason for the major decision, Marko revealed in a separate interview that several factors led to Horner's exit, with the topmost among them being performance. He said: "This was the result of various factors, but above all, the performance wasn't quite as good as it could have been. Laurent Mekies, Team Principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing speaks in the Team Principals Press Conference during Sprint qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on July 25, 2025... Laurent Mekies, Team Principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing speaks in the Team Principals Press Conference during Sprint qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on July 25, 2025 in Spa, Belgium. More"Fortunately, we were able to bring Laurent Mekies into the family. His responsibilities will be significantly reduced, with the main focus being on racing." Mekies comes with a proven track record of leading Red Bull's junior F1 team, Racing Bulls, which he joined in 2023. The call for a promotion to Red Bull caught him by surprise, much like everybody else. Speaking about the phone call that elevated his position to lead one of F1's most successful teams, Mekies told the media at Spa Francorchamps: "Well, it was not very different for me than it was for you, really, guys. I got a call a few hours before you guys were made aware. I got a call from Oliver and Helmut and they asked me if I would be interested to do the job. "Obviously, it came out of the blue at that moment for me. I was actually in the UK at Racing Bulls and it came in a completely unexpected way. I actually asked them to think about it for a few hours and hung up the phone. It's difficult to digest." Revealing his thoughts that pushed him to take on the new role, Mekies said: "But the first thing that comes into your mind is, 'Wait a second. It's Red Bull. They are calling you. They ask you to step in to do that job, with everything that Red Bull means – its energy, its spirit, how they go about their racing teams' and that's how you pick up the phone and you say, 'Of course, it's an honour. It's a privilege.'" Despite the big moment for Mekies, he didn't hold back from giving due credit to the person who brought him to the Red Bull family - Horner. Mekies added: "First thought obviously goes in this moment as well to Christian because it's not something I could have expected. And he had been nothing else than extremely supportive with me these last two years. "It's not a secret that he's the one with Oliver and Helmut that brought me back to the Red Bull family a couple of years ago. So that's the sort of mix of emotions you get at that moment. "But as I said, the dominant one is it's Red Bull calling. I guess it's a matter of loyalty to go towards the brand and you just say, 'Of course, if you think you need me there, I will go there'."
