Red Bull has extended the contract of team principal Laurent Mekies through the end of 2031, the Formula 1 team announced on Wednesday. Shareholder Mark Mateschitz made the announcement during a team debrief at the squad’s headquarters in Milton Keynes, England, the Associated Press reported.
Motorsport.com reported that the 49-year-old Frenchman will remain in the job for at least six seasons. Mekies joined Red Bull in July 2025, succeeding Christian Horner, whose 20-year tenure as team boss ended that month, according to Motorsport.com and the AP. The Independent described the new agreement as a five-year contract. None of the reports described its financial terms.
Mekies’ background
Before Red Bull, Mekies worked for six years with the Italian team Ferrari, beginning in a sporting role and later moving into racing director duties, Motorsport.com reported. dpa added that he also worked for the FIA, the sport’s governing body. He took over Racing Bulls, Red Bull’s sister team, at the start of 2024 before moving up to the senior squad, and the AP said he has now led the team for 15 months.
In a statement, Mekies said he was “incredibly proud” to keep working with Oracle Red Bull Racing. Shareholders Chalerm Yoovidhya and Mark Mateschitz credited him with steering the squad through a period of transition while preserving its competitive spirit, according to dpa.
“Laurent has demonstrated outstanding leadership since returning to the Red Bull family,” said CEO Oliver Mintzlaff, as quoted by Motorsport.com.
A late-season turnaround
The extension follows a rebound for the team. Red Bull started the 2026 season slowly under the sport’s new technical regulations but has since added a series of car upgrades, Motorsport.com reported. Max Verstappen then won the last two grands prix, in Malaysia and Singapore, both from pole position. With six rounds left, Red Bull sits seven points behind third-place McLaren, that report said.
Verstappen signed a deal through 2030 in August, ending speculation about his future, the AP reported. Isack Hadjar, who was confirmed last month, will partner Verstappen in 2027, Motorsport.com said.
What comes next
Mekies will lead the squad into the 2027 season alongside Verstappen and Hadjar. Horner, meanwhile, has drawn links to a possible return to the sport, The Independent reported. Speaking to the newspaper about his removal from Red Bull, he said he was focused on the next challenge in his career. The reports did not say what changes, if any, the team plans under Mekies’ leadership. Red Bull’s statements focused on continuity, shareholders’ confidence in the project and the team’s long-term vision, and none of the reports indicated when further announcements would follow. Observers will be watching how the squad performs over the six remaining rounds of the current season.
