Martin Brundle backs Laurent Mekies at Red Bull in Andrea Stella and James Vowles comparison

Former Formula 1 driver and Sky Sports analyst Martin Brundle has backed Laurent Mekies in his new role as Red Bull Racing CEO and team principal.

Stepping up from the position of Racing Bulls team chief, Mekies replaced Christian Horner at the Milton Keynes outfit after the latter was replaced with immediate effect on 9 July.

Mekies began his F1 career at Arrows before moving to Minardi, where he worked as the race engineer for Mark Webber, Justin Wilson, Christijan Albers and Zsolt Baumgartner. He remained with the team as it transitioned to Toro Rosso after it was acquired by Red Bull at the end of 2005. He was then promoted to chief engineer.

The Frenchman made a move to the FIA in 2014 as safety director. He was promoted to deputy race director in 2017. After his stint at the FIA, Mekies moved to Ferrari to become the sporting director in 2018 and later became deputy team principal and racing director in 2021. 

2023 saw Mekies leave the Maranello outfit. After completing his period of garden leave, he returned to the Red Bull-owned VCARB (previously Toro Rosso and now known as Racing Bulls) as team principal in 2024.

Brundle argued that Mekies' technical background could see him replicate the success that the likes of Andrea Stella and James Vowles are seeing at McLaren and Williams.

"We are seeing people like this more and more now becoming a team boss," the former driver explained in a Sky Sports F1 column. "Look at the incredible job Andrea Stella is doing at McLaren, James Vowles at Williams - people with a technical background are in the driving seat of that aspect.

Laurent Mekies, Red Bull Racing Team Principal

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

"Laurent has done a great job at Racing Bulls and they have seen that within the Red Bull group and immediately moved that over.

"Jonathan Wheatley, who would have fancied that job big time, has moved over to Sauber, which will become Audi, and perhaps the fact he fancied Christian's job expeditated that.

"Alan Permane, who is taking over Mekies at Racing Bulls, has a huge amount of experience of the operational side of an F1 team too."

Mekies joined the Red Bull team on 11 July for his first day as team chief.

“I still look at these guys as most people our side of the team look at them,” the new team principal explained. “We see the very best people in the world at what they do; that’s what this team is, even from being competitors previously.

“We look at [Red Bull] as being the sharpest team, having managed to accumulate the biggest amount of talent together, and you guys are just the best at what you do, and it’s a privilege to join the team.

“The focus will really be making sure that all the talented people here have what they need to perform at their best, because they are already the very best, and we’ll be focusing on that, focusing on making sure that the Red Bull energy is flowing through the team.”

He added, “Together with that, we are not underestimating the challenge ahead. Formula 1 is going to face probably the biggest change of regulation in its history [in 2026], and it has a very particular place for Red Bull as we go with our own power unit.

“It’s going to be an incredible challenge, and everyone will go about it all together. I’m sure with adding everyone’s contributions as a team, we will tackle this challenge.”