Because the mud settles from a dramatic day in Components 1, it’s time to look forward.
Christian Horner is out at Pink Bull, having been sacked as Crew Principal and compelled at hand over “operational” management of the workforce after 20 years in that function. Stepping in on the high of the workforce is Laurent Mekies, who spent the final season-plus because the Crew Principal at Visa Money App Racing Bulls, Pink Bull’s junior workforce.
As we start to look forward, listed here are three key questions going through Pink Bull as they give the impression of being to proper the ship.
Is Laurent Mekies the fitting individual for the job?
Photograph by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Photos
For 20 years, Pink Bull has identified one Crew Principal, Christian Horner.
That run, which spanned eight Drivers’ Championships, six Constructors’ titles, and a complete lot of race wins.
Nevertheless, Horner has now handed over operational management of the workforce to Laurent Mekies, who inherits a legacy that features one of the crucial proficient drivers within the sport’s historical past, together with a bunch of complications.
Is he up for the job?
Mekies’ F1 journey started again in 2001 when he first joined Arrows, earlier than shifting to Minardi the next season. That’s when he first crossed paths together with his present employer, as Pink Bull purchased out Minardi and rebranded the workforce as Toro Rosso. Mekies stayed with the workforce, working his approach as much as Head of Car Efficiency, and was there when Sebastian Vettel delivered a dream efficiency on the 2008 Italian Grand Prix, taking each pole place and the race victory.
So far that’s the solely win in Toro Rosso — now Visa Money App Racing Bulls — historical past. That season additionally noticed the Pink Bull junior workforce outscore the senior workforce within the standings, which can be the one time that has occurred in F1 historical past.
Mekies moved to the FIA for the 2014 motorsports season, beginning out as a security director earlier than turning into the Deputy Race Director for F1. However in September of 2018, he returned to pit lane, becoming a member of Ferrari because the workforce’s Sporting Director. This was seen as controversial on the time, as Ferrari introduced in March of that 12 months that Mekies would be a part of the workforce within the fall. A number of groups blasted the transfer as a violation of a “gentleman’s settlement” concerning required gardening go away when FIA officers — who’ve entry to delicate workforce information — take positions with F1 groups.
“We [are] very sad with the FIA for shedding yet one more key worker to a racing workforce,” McLaren racing director Eric Boullier advised Motorsport.com. “Particularly after it was agreed by all groups on the final Technique Group assembly that no key technical FIA staff could be employed by a race workforce inside 12 months of leaving the FIA.
“Ferrari went in opposition to the gentleman’s settlement, and the FIA has not enforced it.”
One other Crew Principal blasted the transfer.
However there was an understanding and a transparent assertion by the groups to say, ‘Proper, let’s have a transparent place that there must be no less than a interval of 12 months within the backyard for a member of the workforce going from both FOM or FIA to a workforce or a workforce going vice versa.’
“Sure groups have been pushing for it to be three years, however in the long run, it was agreed upon being 12 months. What’s disappointing is that that assembly was lower than six weeks in the past, and, arguably, discussions have been most likely occurring at the moment. It nearly makes these conferences pointless if we will’t agree on one thing and motion it. After all, you’ll be able to conceal behind, ‘Effectively it’s not within the rules,’ however as a gaggle, we agreed on one thing, it hasn’t been adhered to, and so one questions what’s the purpose of getting these conferences.”
That Crew Principal? None apart from Christian Horner.
Mekies rapidly rose via the ranks at Ferrari, turning into the workforce’s Deputy Crew Principal and Racing Director in 2021. However in 2023 his former workforce got here calling, and it was introduced in April of that 12 months he could be leaving Ferrari and take a job because the Crew Principal at AlphaTauri — now VCARB — and he departed Ferrari in July.
Final 12 months he led the workforce to an eighth-place end within the Constructors’ Championship standings whereas navigating persistent questions over the driving force lineup. VCARB started the 12 months with Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo within the automobile, however Ricciardo was sidelined following the Singapore Grand Prix in favor of Liam Lawson.
How that call was dealt with by your complete group was a matter of some controversy, given Ricciardo’s standing as a fan favourite. Mekies addressed that challenge the next race weekend at america Grand Prix.
“Sure, it was irritating and sure, you’re proper. It was not perfect to undergo the weekend in that approach,” mentioned Mekies to the media, together with SB Nation, in Austin final October. ”To start with, for him on an expert and on a private matter, and for the entire workforce, round him. Sure, Daniel was conscious. We did have discussions earlier than the weekend. For a lot of totally different causes, we selected collectively to enter that weekend with out saying. And from that time on, we’ve got to take care of it.
“It’s a choice that in hindsight, we might, or might not do otherwise, nevertheless it’s one thing that we have been each, each the workforce and the drivers have been on board, to undergo that,” continued Mekies. “Now, I feel in a technique or one other, all of us discovered a technique to categorical how a lot love there’s from the game to Daniel. From the followers to Daniel.
“So, I don’t know if it might have been higher or worse,” continued Mekies. “Actually totally different, extra conventional. I can hopefully say that the quantity of affection and empathy we felt via that weekend, was one thing else, one thing that exhibits that he’s greater than an F1 driver, he’s greater than F1.”
Questions over the workforce’s driver lineup lingered into 2025. VCARB began the season with Tsunoda and rookie Isack Hadjar within the automobile, however after Lawson struggled with the senior workforce he was demoted, switching spots with Tsunoda.
Proper now VCARB is seventh within the Constructors’ Championship standings with 36 factors, simply 5 factors out of sixth place.
However now, Mekies is within the large chair, as CEO and Crew Principal at Pink Bull. His prolonged resume, coupled with how he has navigated life on the junior workforce the previous two seasons, would point out he’s prepared for the second. Whereas some would possibly marvel if he’ll be prepared for the strain cooker that’s Pink Bull, spending just a few seasons on the strain cooker that’s Ferrari — and there won’t be a extra anxious surroundings within the sport — ought to have him prepared.
However solely Mekies can reply this query for certain.
What occurs with their lineup, non-Max Verstappen version?
That is additionally a serious query, one which has plagued Pink Bull for a number of seasons now.
Since Ricciardo’s departure from the senior workforce on the finish of the 2018 marketing campaign, Pink Bull has churned via just a few totally different drivers, attempting to lock down the spot alongside Max Verstappen. Pierre Gasly and Alexander Albon have been the choices in 2019 and 2020. Then the workforce turned to Sergio Pérez for 2021 however parted methods with him on the finish of final season in favor of Lawson.
However Lawson lasted simply two races, earlier than giving technique to Tsunoda. Solely Tsunoda has did not ship the efficiency the workforce wants, scoring simply seven factors over his ten race weekends within the spot.
How Mekies handles this example may be the second-biggest query he must reply: The place does he go from right here? Given his relationship with Tsunoda from the previous two seasons, can he get probably the most out of him as a driver? Will he flip to a different present VCARB driver, Isack Hadjar, for the second seat subsequent 12 months? Will he give Arvid Lindblad a shot, the younger phenom rocketing his approach up the ranks throughout the group? Or will Mekies look exterior Pink Bull, one thing Horner hinted at when addressing the media earlier than the British Grand Prix?
How Mekies handles Pink Bull’s lineup is an enormous query, and the second seat is a giant think about that query.
However in fact, it’s not the most important.
What occurs with their driver lineup, Max Verstappen version?
How this query will get answered possible determines the reply to the primary one.
Can Mekies preserve Verstappen within the fold?
When the information of Horner’s sacking broke on Wednesday, many rushed to the conclusion that the transfer would preserve Verstappen with the workforce. There’s actually proof for such a proposition, given the strain between Horner and Verstappen’s workforce at first of final season. When Horner was underneath strain as a result of extreme allegations of misconduct raised in opposition to him by a Pink Bull worker, Crew Verstappen — led by Jos Verstappen, Max’s father — didn’t maintain again of their criticism. “There’s stress right here whereas he stays in place,” mentioned the elder Verstappen in an interview with the Day by day Mail in March of 2024. “The workforce is in peril of being torn aside. It could’t go on the way in which it’s. It’ll explode. He’s enjoying the sufferer, when he’s the one inflicting the issues.”
Nevertheless Erik van Haren, a longtime F1 journalist and famous Verstappen whisperer, poured chilly water on that conclusion Wednesday. Talking on Sky Sports activities F1, van Haren made it clear that past Horner’s departure, how the workforce improves the RB21 this 12 months — and develops the RB22 for subsequent 12 months — are extra necessary.
“You’re getting now a variety of reviews and other people pondering okay Horner is out, so meaning Verstappen will keep. I don’t suppose it’s that clear. I feel what for the Verstappens is most necessary is that the workforce is making steps with the automobile. They’ve a variety of issues with this automobile,” started van Haren on Sky Sports activities F1.
“They need extra efficiency after which they will make the choice: is that this our workforce for the longer term, sure or no. I feel this determination [with Horner] has been made to get extra peace within the workforce but additionally possibly to say to Verstappen, possibly for you this can be a good second to remain.
“Possibly it provides Pink Bull a greater likelihood to maintain him within the workforce however that’s not a assure at this level,” added the journalist.
“I feel he’ll make up his thoughts this month. They’ve two weeks to go earlier than the summer season break so he has a variety of time to suppose and in addition to see how the automobile is performing.”
In some methods, this tracks with language from Horner in his last days, and even throughout his goodbye remarks to the workforce. For months as hypothesis swirled round Verstappen, the previous Pink Bull boss pointed to a bit of paper, sustaining that Verstappen was underneath contract via 2028 and anything was noise.
However because the drumbeats over Verstappen to Mercedes grew louder, Horner pivoted. Talking on the FIA Press Convention forward of the British Grand Prix, in what for the second stands as his last FIA presser, Horner had this to say:
“No one, with hand on coronary heart, can know what the pecking order goes to be … It could possibly be Ferrari. It could possibly be Mercedes. It could possibly be anybody.
“There’s an terrible lot of subjectiveness to 2026, and it’ll solely be actually this time subsequent 12 months that you simply’ll have a transparent indication of what that pecking order is. So, there are not any ensures that leaping right into a Mercedes automobile would routinely be a greater proposition (emphasis added).”
Then in his remarks at Pink Bull Wednesday he talked about the brand new energy unit program Pink Bull is creating in partnership with Ford, saying to the workforce: “What lies forward with [Red Bull] Powertrains is really thrilling and I’ll simply be very unhappy I received’t be right here to see the engine efficiency.”
For weeks Horner’s place concerning Verstappen was that the hypothesis about his future was simply noise, however within the last days he turned to the automobile itself, and what Pink Bull might need subsequent 12 months.
Had been these last pitches to Verstappen, even on Horner’s approach out the door? An indication that Pink Bull has one thing up their sleeves for 2026? Or only a proud goodbye?
These at the moment are the questions going through Mekies.
How he solutions them would possibly simply decide his, and Verstappen’s, future.
And the clock is ticking.