Mekies spent his first day with the team at Silverstone on Thursday, joining staff for a planned filming day with the RB21.
The outing, just a few miles from the Red Bull Technology Campus, marked the Frenchman’s first appearance in the Red Bull garage since being promoted from the team’s sister outfit, Racing Bulls.
Horner’s dismissal on Wednesday ended a two-decade reign that saw him steer Red Bull Racing from startup entrant to six-time constructors’ champions.
Speaking on his first official day in charge, Mekies paid tribute to Horner’s legacy while acknowledging the size of the task ahead.
“It still feels a bit unreal to be in the Red Bull garage and not see Christian Horner,” he said.
“It will be impossible to underestimate the size of the achievement that this team has had under 20 years of Christian’s leadership.
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“I met him 20 years ago when he was the youngest team principal in Formula 1, and it’s unbelievable to see how he has turned this place to the level at which it is at now, and it’s a journey with many, many titles and wins.”
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He said he was excited to begin connecting with the people behind Red Bull’s continued success.
“I look at this team as most outside look at them, we see the very best people in the world at what they do,” Mekies said.
“That’s what this team is, even from being a competitor previously you look at Red Bull Racing as being the sharpest team, having managed to accumulate the best talent to work together.
“It is a privilege to join the team and the focus will be on making sure all the talented people here have what they need to perform at their best, because they are already the very best.”
Mekies returned to the Red Bull system in 2023 after a previous stint earlier in his career, and credited Horner as one of the figures who encouraged that move.
He also acknowledged the broader Red Bull organisation as a key motivator in taking the job, calling it “one of the most incredible companies on the planet.”
“You have a crazy combination here where, in Red Bull Racing, you have the most talented people; they are the best at what they do in the world,” he said.
“And this entity is part of the Red Bull Group — one of the most incredible companies on the planet. It’s energy adding energy; it’s also a lot in the Red Bull spirit and the Red Bull DNA in the way we go about things — with a smile, with high risk-taking.
“But we do not forget we have the best job in the world, and we go about it with the utmost desire to win, but also with the smile and energy that is Red Bull.”
While the team regroups following the leadership shake-up, Mekies said his immediate focus would be getting to know the staff, understanding the structure, and building momentum heading into the final 12 races of the season.
His first race at the helm will come at the Belgian Grand Prix later this month.
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