Ford CEO Jim Farley has addressed the management change at Red Bull Racing ahead of the introduction of Red Bull Powertrains in 2026, praising new team boss Laurent Mekies.
Red Bull is set to part ways with its current powertrain partner, Honda, at the end of the current Formula 1 season to introduce its own powertrains in collaboration with Ford in 2026.
Along with the change in powertrains, Red Bull also underwent a change in management as Christian Horner was replaced by Mekies on 9 July as Red Bull Racing CEO and team principal.
Although the reason for Horner’s exit from the team after a 20-year tenure was not officially confirmed, it came after a flurry of high-profile exits, including Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley, and a reported power struggle.
“Oh, I think it’s great. I can feel it here. I came here because I’m a big believer as a leader to understand things with your eyes and your ears. And I can clearly see the impact Laurent has had on the stability of the team,” Farley explained to Sky Sports F1.
“He’s a technical person, which is exactly right for this change in 2026. He’s absolutely the right leader. We are completely behind him, and I can really feel it here with the team.”
The Milton Keynes outfit celebrated its first win since Mekies stepped up to the role at the Italian Grand Prix, as Max Verstappen put on a dominant show at Monza. Mekies remained modest after the victory, claiming that his contribution to the win was “zero”.
Laurent Mekies, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images
“The answer is a very easy one, the level of contribution is zero and I’m not joking either, it’s 1500 people working on making that car faster,” the Frenchman explained to the media at Monza.
“So these are the additions of these talents that make the car faster, that make the hundreds and make the thousands and make the set of options available and make the new components available, so the short answer is zero.”
Red Bull currently sits fourth in the constructors’ standings with 239 points, trailing leader McLaren by 378 points.
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