Laurent Mekies signs Red Bull Racing contract extension through 2031

Extension confirmed through 2031

Oracle Red Bull Racing has announced a long-term contract extension for Laurent Mekies as CEO and Team Principal, running through 2031. According to the team's own announcement, shareholder Mark Mateschitz revealed the deal during a team debrief in Milton Keynes on 14 October, following the team's victories in Malaysia and Singapore. Sky Sports described the new agreement as a five-year extension that keeps Mekies as team principal and chief executive until 2031. ¹⁴

The announcement follows a sequence of recent retentions at the team. Red Bull's statement said the agreement comes after recent contract renewals for drivers Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar, as well as the signing of what the team called key personnel for the 2027 season, which it said further strengthens the team's long-term platform. Motorsport Week noted the team did not name those personnel and also did not say how long Mekies's previous contract had to run. ¹⁵

In a joint statement, Red Bull shareholders Chalerm Yoovidhya and Mark Mateschitz said Mekies had played a crucial role in guiding the team through an important period of transition, and that the extension reflected their confidence in his leadership. Oliver Mintzlaff, Red Bull's CEO of corporate projects and investments, said continuity in leadership was a key ingredient for sustained success. ¹⁴

Mekies said in the team's announcement: "I am incredibly proud to continue this journey with Oracle Red Bull Racing, and I would like to thank Chalerm, Mark, and Oliver, the entire Team, and everyone involved for the trust they have placed in the project." He also pointed to the teams led by technical director Pierre Wache and powertrains chief Ben Hodgkinson as playing a central role in shaping the team's future, saying the group believes "this is only the beginning". ¹⁵⁴

Mekies's path to the top job

Mekies brings more than 20 years of Formula One experience to the role. According to Red Bull's announcement, he has held senior leadership positions across Minardi, Toro Rosso, the FIA and Ferrari before returning to the Red Bull family in 2024 as Team Principal of Visa Cash App Racing Bulls. He was appointed CEO and Team Principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing in July 2025. ¹

His appointment came after the departure of Christian Horner. AFP and Sky Sports both reported that Mekies joined from sister team Racing Bulls in July 2025 after Horner was sacked following 20 years in charge, while the BBC's F1 correspondent Andrew Benson likewise reported Mekies has led the team since replacing Horner in the summer of 2025. ³⁴²

The 49-year-old Frenchman's tenure has coincided with a competitive turnaround. Red Bull's announcement said the team delivered a remarkable turnaround during the second half of the 2025 season under his leadership, ultimately missing out on the Drivers' Championship by just two points. ¹

First season with its own power unit

2026 has been a landmark season technically for the team. Red Bull's announcement said the squad competed with its own power unit for the first time this year, and that the breakthrough came in Malaysia with the team's first victory of the season, followed by a dominant weekend in Singapore where Oracle Red Bull Racing won both the Sprint and the Grand Prix. ¹

Motorsport Week reported that 2026 is the team's first season with its own power unit, built by Red Bull Ford Powertrains, and described Verstappen's Singapore weekend as including both the Sprint and Grand Prix wins. The BBC reported that after a difficult start to the 2026 season, Red Bull improved its car to the extent that Verstappen took what it described as dominant victories in the last two races, in Malaysia and Singapore. ⁵²

The timing of the extension also carries broader paddock context. The BBC reported that Verstappen's two victories came in the wake of an interview Horner gave to The Times in which he claimed Red Bull had "lost its mojo, its presence, its vibe". The same BBC report noted Verstappen had extended his own Red Bull contract by two years to the end of 2030 less than two months earlier, after a period of uncertainty over his future. ²

Championship position and what remains unclear

The team's championship standing was a point of differing detail across coverage. AFP and Sky Sports both reported Red Bull is currently fourth in the Constructors' Championship but has closed to within seven points of third-placed McLaren. A summary of international reporting carried on Newscord, citing AutoHebdo, described Red Bull as fourth and seven points behind third-placed Ferrari. The publication of record here, Red Bull's own announcement, did not state a championship position, so the identity of the third-placed team differs between AFP and Sky Sports on one hand and the AutoHebdo-sourced account on the other. ³⁴⁶

Sky Sports framed the season as shaping up to be a very competitive end to Red Bull's first year as an engine manufacturer, and noted Formula 1 next heads to the United States Grand Prix in Austin on October 23-25. ⁴

Several details of the deal remain unstated. Red Bull's announcement did not provide further contract terms beyond the 2031 end date, and Motorsport Week reported the team did not disclose how long Mekies's previous contract had to run. The 2027 personnel signings referenced in the team's statement were likewise not named by the team. ¹⁵

A run of extensions at Milton Keynes

The Mekies deal caps a sequence of security at the team during 2026. Diario AS, as quoted in international reporting summarised by Newscord, described the renewal as part of a run of contract extensions: Verstappen's renewal was announced on August 20, Hadjar's on September 23, and once the drivers were tied up, the team principal followed on October 14. Sky Sports separately reported Verstappen extended his contract to 2030 in August, while Hadjar received a renewal into 2027 after impressing in his first season at Milton Keynes; AFP reported Hadjar will remain with the team next season. ⁶⁴³