Laurent Mekies took the helm as CEO of Oracle Red Bull Racing just four months ago. Now, he’s taking the legendary Formula 1 team in a new direction. At 48 years old, he is now just the second leader in Red Bull Racing’s 20-year history. He combines a wonderful mix of technical knowledge and managerial skill to this legacy of leadership. Throughout Mekies’ Formula 1 career has been a resounding success. Having lived the sport of cycling from almost every angle, he is able to provide a comprehensive understanding of it.
Mekies, who early in his career was a race engineer himself, is no stranger to the treacherous high-stakes world of Formula 1. He has an impressive track record of promoting innovative safety reforms. One of his most well-known innovations was the halo system, which protects drivers’ heads in high-impact races. His engineering background fuels his concern for safety. He is passionate about their team members’ safety and their drivers’ safety.
With a workforce of 2,000 souls to manage, Mekies insists that line of communication is vital, but so is the collective will and camaraderie of the team assembled. He recognizes that success in Formula 1 is not merely about individual performance but rather about harnessing collective talent and effort.
“All we do as leaders is put our people in position to be able to express their talents. So it is very much their win.” – Laurent Mekies
With Mekies’ leadership, Red Bull Racing appears better positioned to approach the rest of the races with a focused plan and execution going forward. He has attributed this success to the team’s tools, methodologies and processes, although operating with less development time than competitors.
“We always say that we take it race by race. So that’s what we are going to do in the next three races,” – Laurent Mekies
Retaining talent Mekies is realistic enough to know that the challenge of competing at the highest level in Formula 1 is a great one. As he reminds leaders, keeping team members motivated and resilient requires an outrageous amount of energy. Cultivating a positive company culture is the key Component to making this happen.
“It takes a tremendous amount of energy, of company culture, to keep that motivation and that fighting spirit.” – Laurent Mekies
He is clear-eyed about the new era, in which careful, methodical preparation is required to earn competitive advantages on the race track. Mekies thinks that all those little things add up to some really big on track benefits.
“You are looking after the tiniest competitive advantage, one after the other,” – Laurent Mekies
Mekies now must tackle different hurdles as he deals with transformational changes EU regulations will require starting in 2026. These modifications will bring new chassis specifications and power unit regulations. Henceforth, teams will be required to think more strategically and make significant tactical changes to adjust to these new requirements.
Mekies reveals that Red Bull Racing plans to develop its own power unit with support from Ford, marking a bold move against competitors with decades of engine manufacturing experience.
“We are going to do our own power unit with the support from Ford, and we are going to compete against people that have been manufacturing Formula One engines for more than 90 years. It’s the sort of crazy level that only Red Bull can do.” – Laurent Mekies
As he settles into his new position, Mekies acknowledges the honor of taking the reins of such a prestigious organization. His approach is holistic, marked by an intense inward focus on the people of the organization and the culture that binds them all together.
“Your first thoughts are for the 2,000 people back in the factories who have never given up on this season,” – Laurent Mekies
Mekies understands that, yes, ambition should be rewarded, but you need to temper that with the fact that people won’t get success from day one.
“We would be silly to think that we just go in there and are going to be at the right level straight away. This is not going to happen,” – Laurent Mekies
