Red Bull Extends Laurent Mekies as Team Principal to 2031 After Verstappen's Back-to-Back Wins
A five-year deal for the man who replaced Christian Horner lands as Red Bull ends a winless start to its first season building its own engines.
Wednesday, October 14, 2026/2 min read
Red Bull have given Laurent Mekies a five-year extension as team principal and chief executive, tying him to the team until 2031, and they have done it in the middle of their best run of the season. The shareholders Chalerm Yoovidhya and Mark Mateschitz issued a joint statement on Wednesday saying the deal reflects their confidence in his leadership, according to Sky Sports.
GrandPrix247 reports that Mateschitz announced it at a team debrief at the Milton Keynes headquarters.
Why did Red Bull extend Mekies now?
The timing follows results. Max Verstappen has won the last two rounds, in Malaysia and Singapore, which were Red Bull's first victories of 2026 in a year that began with the team running its own power unit for the first time. Sky says the team are fourth in the constructors' championship, seven points behind third-placed McLaren.
Mekies took over in July 2025, when Christian Horner was sacked after 20 years in charge. He came from the sister team Racing Bulls, and before that he worked at Minardi, Toro Rosso, the FIA and Ferrari. Oliver Mintzlaff, Red Bull's chief executive of corporate projects and investments, said Mekies has shown outstanding leadership since returning to the Red Bull family. Mekies called the wins only the beginning.
What does it mean for Verstappen?
The extension sits alongside other long-term decisions. Verstappen extended his own contract to 2030 in August, and Isack Hadjar signed a renewal to 2027. GrandPrix247 adds that the team has also recruited key personnel for 2027. GrandPrix247 notes that Verstappen finished only two points behind the drivers' champion in 2025, and that the Singapore weekend brought a sprint and grand prix double. For a team building its own engine for the first time, keeping the man at the top in place removes one source of doubt.
A contract to 2031 also reads as a decision to stay with the post-Horner arrangement, in which Mekies holds both the team principal and chief executive titles. Mekies thanked the shareholders, Mintzlaff and the whole team for their trust and said he was proud to continue the journey.
Sky describes Mekies as arriving from Racing Bulls in July 2025, and GrandPrix247 calls him a veteran of more than 20 years in Formula 1. The shareholders are now backing him for another five seasons on top of the time he has already served.
What is next for Red Bull in the championship?
The United States Grand Prix in Austin on 23 to 25 October is next, live on Sky Sports F1. Closing the seven-point gap to McLaren is the nearest target, and the engine department will be watched closely, because reliability and development pace at a first-year manufacturer tend to decide whether early wins become a title challenge in 2027.
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