After two Verstappen wins: Red Bull extend team boss Mekies until 2031
Laurent Mekies will remain Red Bull Racing team principal and CEO until the end of 2031. The extension follows the team's first two wins of the season, both by Max Verstappen, in Sepang and Singapore.
Archive image · Photo: Web Summit / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Red Bull Racing have extended team principal Laurent Mekies' contract by five years, until the end of 2031, the team announced on Wednesday. The 49-year-old Frenchman has led the team as team principal and CEO since July 2025, when he moved over from sister team Racing Bulls to replace Christian Horner, who was sacked after 20 years in charge. Mekies previously worked for Minardi, Toro Rosso, Ferrari and the FIA.
"We genuinely believe this is only the beginning," Mekies said, according to Sky Sports. Oliver Mintzlaff, Red Bull's CEO of corporate projects and investments, said: "Continuity in leadership is a key ingredient for sustained success." Mekies' deal now runs one year longer than that of Max Verstappen, who extended to 2030 in August; Isack Hadjar is signed into 2027.
On track, Red Bull have recovered in their first season as an engine manufacturer: Verstappen won in Sepang and Singapore – the team's first two victories of the year. In the constructors' standings Red Bull are fourth on 332 points, seven behind McLaren. Next up is the United States Grand Prix in Austin from 23 to 25 October.