Laurent Mekies reflects on first day at Red Bull as he sets out key focus for the team

Laurent Mekies has shared his reflections after spending his first day as Crew Principal and CEO of the Pink Bull workforce, with the Frenchman setting out the important thing focus and his personal “subsequent step” as he prepares for the “problem” forward.

Following the information of Christian Horner’s immediate departure on Wednesday, it was confirmed that Mekies – beforehand Crew Principal at Racing Bulls for the reason that starting of 2024 – would take over on the Milton Keynes-based squad, whereas Alan Permane steps into the workforce boss place on the sister outfit.

Mekies travelled from Red Bull’s campus to affix the workforce for a deliberate filming day at Silverstone on Thursday, and later gave his evaluation of what it had been like to satisfy his new colleagues.

“I nonetheless have a look at these guys as most individuals our facet of the workforce have a look at them,” the brand new Crew Principal conceded. “We see the easiest folks on the planet at what they do; that’s what this workforce is, even from being opponents beforehand.

“We have a look at [Red Bull] as being the sharpest workforce, having managed to build up the largest quantity of expertise collectively, and also you guys are simply the very best at what you do, and it’s a privilege to affix the workforce.

“The main target will actually be ensuring that every one the gifted folks right here have what they should carry out at their finest, as a result of they’re already the easiest, and we’ll be specializing in that, specializing in ensuring that the Pink Bull power is flowing by means of the workforce.”

Whereas Mekies spoke positively about his first day, he additionally acknowledged the duty going through the squad going ahead, significantly when it comes to making ready for a new regulation cycle within the sport subsequent yr.

“Along with that, we aren’t underestimating the problem forward,” stated Mekies. “Components 1 goes to face in all probability the largest change of regulation in its historical past [in 2026], and it has a really explicit place for Pink Bull as we go together with our personal energy unit.

“It’s going to be an unbelievable problem, and everybody will go about all of it collectively. I’m certain with including everybody’s contributions as a workforce, we’ll deal with this problem.”

When it comes to what his subsequent steps might be as Crew Principal and CEO, Mekies underlined that his focus might be on attending to know the folks at Pink Bull.

“There is just one subsequent step – what you can not wait to do is to satisfy the folks,” he defined. “Clearly it’s been not even a day now, so I simply can’t wait to satisfy as many individuals as potential from this unbelievable workforce.

“You need to uncover the magic, you need to meet the blokes and the ladies which can be doing the magic behind the scenes.

“And that’s what the following few weeks might be devoted to, to attempt to meet as lots of our folks as potential, to hearken to them, to attempt to perceive this lovely, magic machine that’s Pink Bull Components 1 [team], and finally discover methods to contribute to this.”