Ralf Schumacher has shared his views on whether Laurent Mekies’ is the right person to take over the role of F1 Team Principal at Red Bull Racing after Christian Horner was fired.
Following the departure of Christian Horner, Mekies will step up to the top team in the middle of the 2025 Formula 1 season. Before moving to Red Bull, Mekies served as Team Principal of the sister team, Racing Bulls, since 2024.
In an interview on a Sky podcast, Ralf Schumacher spoke on the new style of leadership that Mekies will bring to the team, as well as how this change will affect the team’s future.
Mekies’ strength is building team spirit
When asked whether he believes that Mekies is the right person for the top job at Red Bull Racing, Schumacher responded very positively. He spoke on the recent performance of Racing Bulls, who currently sit seventh in the Constructors’ Standings.
“I believe so. I think Racing Bulls has improved significantly, and that’s what makes it special. You can see how a team operates when it works as a cohesive unit and feels like family, and how drivers can thrive in that environment.“
Under Mekies’ leadership, Racing Bulls have had a strong first half of the season. Both Racing Bulls drivers currently sit above Tsunoda, racing for Red Bull, in the Drivers’ Standings.
This upturn in performance is particular impressive in the context of the unstable driver line at the beginning of the season. Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson swapped teams as Lawson struggled significantly with the Red Bull car during the first two races of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Returning to the junior team, Lawson’s confidence has increased and the driver from New Zealand managed to achieve his career-best P6 finish recently at the Austrian GP. Schumacher gave the example of Lawson’s rebuilt confidence and improved performance as evidence of Mekies’ leadership qualities.
“Liam Lawson, for example, took some time to find his rhythm, but now he’s regained his confidence. I believe Mekies can contribute to that dynamic. And yes, the team is in a good position.“
Can Mekies convince Verstappen to stay?
Since Daniel Ricciardo’s departure, Max Verstappen has been the only driver able to consistently achieve strong results at Red Bull Racing. Without the World Champion driving for the team, their future is looking uncertain.
Schumacher responded to whether the change in leadership at Red Bull Racing has increased the likelihood that Verstappen will stay.
“Well, it certainly hasn’t decreased. But for Max Verstappen, it’s all about having a car that wins and has the potential to win.“
The former Formula 1 driver then went on to say that the pressure is on Mekies to change the team and keep Verstappen happy.
“Mekies has to step in now. I hope that he can bring peace and a pleasant family atmosphere back within a short period. But I believe he can. I think everyone will breathe a little easier now, and I’m quite confident about that. We’ll see what happens.“
Red Bull losing key personnel
Over recent years, Red Bull have faced a brain drain of staff leaving for other teams. Notably, this has included Adrian Newey, former Chief Technical Officer, and Jonathan Wheatley, former Sporting Director.
Though confident that Mekies is appropriate for the top role at Red Bull, Schumacher seemed uncertain about the performance of other team personnel. Focusing on the need to improve the team’s car, Schumacher specifically pointed out Pierre Waché, Red Bull’s F1 Technical Director, as being under pressure.
“The issue is, I’m somewhat skeptical that Pierre Waché can suddenly build a fast car. I believe the car performs well, especially in the wind tunnel, where there are no wind or roll effects, and it’s based solely on the car’s data.
“But the difference between him and Adrian Newey is that Adrian knows the wind is coming from the side, the car is rotating, the car is doing things, moving, and so I have to give up certain things to make it drivable.
“I’m still struggling to see how he’s supposed to manage that and convince Max to stay, given that things aren’t going to change this year, and Max wants to win again, I’m sure of that.”
What is the future of Racing Bulls?
Racing Bulls F1 now prepare for Alan Permane to take over from Mekies. Schumacher shared that despite this change, he does not believe that the junior team will suffer. He noted that this is because the culture has been well-established.
“The situation with Racing Bulls will stay consistent. Ultimately, it’s the people who support and decide together, which is very important.”
Schumacher pointed out a strong sense of team spirit as a key factor to any F1 team’s success.
“People often overlook this nowadays, and it was so refreshing to hear that in our interview with Zac Brown, who said that his main responsibility is to promote team spirit and keep everyone motivated, while also trying to prevent them from being approached by other teams. That’s an added responsibility.
I think Peter Bayer also manages it quite well with others —I don’t know who else is responsible for that, but I believe that’s how the responsibilities are currently divided.”
