Mekies Counters Horner: Red Bull Spirit Fuels Remarkable Recovery, Not Lost Mojo

Red Bull Racing team principal Laurent Mekies has firmly rejected Christian Horner’s assertion that the squad has “lost its mojo” following his departure, arguing instead that the team’s unity has driven a “very remarkable” resurgence.

Horner, who exited the Milton Keynes operation in July 2025 after twenty years at the helm, made the remarks while promoting his recently published memoir, Drive. In an interview with The Times, he claimed the team had “lost its mojo, its presence, its vibe” since his exit.

Addressing the comments during Friday’s team principals’ press conference in Mexico City, Mekies acknowledged his predecessor’s perspective but drew a sharp contrast regarding the current atmosphere.

“Look, first of all, Christian is entitled to his opinion. He obviously has spent a lot of time in this team and I respect his point of view,” Mekies stated. “We certainly feel extremely differently about the vibe in the team. One of the strong points we have been enjoying certainly in the last few months is the incredible team spirit that has allowed us to come back from an objectively very difficult moment.”

Laurent Mekies, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

“It is one thing to maintain a positive spirit when you are winning races; it is something else entirely to preserve that fighting spirit and unity among team members when you are under pressure,” Mekies continued. “We certainly had a challenging first part of the year, on the chassis side and the power unit side.”

“The way the team stuck together, the way they ignited the Milton Keynes factory to engineer a recovery, and the manner in which they have executed that turnaround—fueled by the brutally honest feedback of our drivers—defines the Red Bull spirit. That is certainly how we feel we need to go racing.”

“The group earned the reward they deserved with the turnaround they have produced, which is very remarkable, but ultimately we are well aware that we live and die by our results,” he added. “The target is not to win one race or two races; the target is to return to world championships, and until we are there, nobody will feel we have achieved anything.”

Red Bull currently sits third in the Constructors’ Championship, level on points with fourth-placed McLaren.

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