Red Bull F1 boss says he totally disagrees with what Christian Horner said
Red Bull principal Laurent Mekies has strongly pushed back against claims from the team’s former boss, Christian Horner, who said the team has “lost its mojo.” Horner, known for stirring up controversy in F1, has been speaking out again to promote his new book, ‘Driven.’ Now, Mekies has had a chance to respond to those headline-grabbing remarks.
Horner has been busy sharing his honest thoughts about his F1 career and the current state of the championship, including his former team. His bold style used to match that of Red Bull, with driver Max Verstappen and former team figure Helmut Marko following his lead. However, after the passing of the team’s CEO Dietrich Mateschitz, new bosses wanted a calmer, less controversial approach, which eventually led to Horner’s departure last summer.
Laurent Mekies was promoted from the junior Racing Bulls team to take over the main team. At first, the team saw a drop in performance late in 2025, which continued into early 2026 as they ran their own Ford-branded engine for the first time. Since then, the team has taken a more thoughtful, less aggressive approach under Mekies, moving away from their old ‘disruptor’ image.
Recently, Horner said, “If you look at that team 12 months down the line, it’s lost its mojo, its presence, its vibe.” But when Mekies was asked about this in Mexico, he didn’t entertain the criticism and pointed instead to recent wins in Malaysia and Singapore.
“He obviously spent a lot of time with this team, and I respect his view,” Mekies said. “But we feel very differently about our team’s spirit. One of our biggest strengths these past months has been the amazing team spirit that helped us bounce back from a tough time. It’s one thing to stay positive when you’re winning, but it’s something else to keep fighting and stay united when the pressure is on.”
The Red Bull cars struggled early in 2026, missing the podium in the first four races, with Verstappen and teammate Hadjar off the pace. But Verstappen then went on to finish on the podium six times in eight races mid-season and won a couple of races.
“We had a tough start to the year with issues on the chassis and power unit, but the team stuck together and worked really hard, especially the Milton Keynes side, to come back,” Mekies said. “From the honest feedback from drivers to the calm determination of everyone else, that’s the Red Bull spirit. It’s the way we want to race. The team’s comeback is impressive, and they’ve earned their success.”
“But at the end of the day, we know that results are everything. Our goal isn’t just to win a race or two — it’s to win world titles. Until we do that, we won’t feel like we’ve truly succeeded.”