Laurent Mekies | |
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_(cropped).jpg) Mekies in 2025 | |
| Born | (1977-04-28)28 April 1977 (age 48) Tours, Centre-Val de Loire, France |
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Laurent Philippe Mekies (born 28 April 1977)[1] is a FrenchFormula One engineer and team principal who has held senior technical and management roles across multiple teams. He began his career in junior single-seater categories before joiningAsiatech and subsequentlyMinardi, where he worked as arace engineer. After serving as chief engineer and head of vehicle performance atToro Rosso, he joined theFIA as Safety Director and later became Deputy Formula One Race Director. Mekies moved toFerrari in 2018 as Sporting Director, later becoming Racing Director until his departure in 2023. He subsequently joined theRed Bull organisation, leading theVisa Cash App RB Formula One Team in 2024 before being appointed Chief Executive Officer and Team Principal ofRed Bull Racing in July 2025.
Mekies graduated fromLoughborough University after earning a master’s degree at the École supérieure des techniques aéronautiques et de construction automobile (ESTACA) in Paris. While still studying at ESTACA, he worked as an intern inFrench Formula 3 with Philippe Sinault’sSignature team (1999).[1] He continued there in 2000, contributing to the success ofJonathan Cochet, who won both the French Formula 3 Championship and theMasters of Formula 3 atZandvoort.[2]
Later in 2000, Mekies joined the newly established companyAsiatech, which had taken overPeugeot’s Formula One engine programme. He worked as an engine engineer, contributing to the development of the ten-cylinder V10 Asiatech/AMT power unit used by theArrows team for the 2001 season.[3] That same year, he took part in testing at theValencia circuit, whereJos Verstappen andPedro de la Rosa tested the Asiatech engine in the Arrows AMT A21 chassis.[4]
After moving intoFormula One, Mekies continued with Asiatech, which supplied engines to the Arrows team in 2001. During that season, he served as an engine race engineer forEnrique Bernoldi. The following year, when Asiatech supplied engines toMinardi, he held the same position forMark Webber.[1]
When Asiatech announced its closure in 2002, Mekies stayed on with Minardi as a permanent employee. He continued as an engine race engineer in 2003 (working withJustin Wilson) and was later promoted to race engineer, partneringZsolt Baumgartner in 2004 andChristijan Albers in 2005.[1]
Following Minardi’s takeover and rebranding asToro Rosso, Mekies remained with the team. From 2006 to 2012, he served as chief engineer (race and test team), and between 2013 and 2014, he held the position of head of vehicle performance.[1]
In October 2014, Mekies joined theFIA as Safety Director, responsible for safety and medical matters across all FIA championships. His duties also included research, development, and homologation of safety components. In this role, he oversaw the development of safety solutions, homologation processes, medical protocols, circuit design, and cooperation with promoters and event organisers. Within the FIA’s safety department, he was involved in the introduction of thehalo system, including its presentation and advocacy within the sport. At the beginning of 2017, he was appointed Deputy Formula One Race Director, assistingCharlie Whiting in managing race weekends and the sporting agenda.[5][6]
In November 2018, Mekies was confirmed as Sporting Director ofFerrari, a position that had remained vacant sinceMassimo Rivola’s departure at the end of 2015. He made his first appearance with Ferrari at the2018 season finale in Abu Dhabi. In 2019, he expanded his responsibilities to lead theTrack & Performance department.[7][8] From 2021, he served as Racing Director, overseeing operations during race weekends, driver strategy, and car performance.[3]
In July 2023, Ferrari announced his departure from the team, withDiego Ioverno taking over his sporting duties. In December 2023, it was confirmed that, following a period ofgardening leave, Mekies would assume leadership of theAlphaTauri team (formerly Toro Rosso).[9][10]
At the start of the 2024 season, Mekies took over as Team Principal of theVisa Cash App RB Formula One Team (formerly Scuderia AlphaTauri), working alongside Chief Executive OfficerPeter Bayer on restructuring and redefining the team’s direction as part ofRed Bull’s broader Formula One reorganisation.[11]
On 9 July 2025, Mekies was appointedChief Executive Officer and Team Principal ofRed Bull Racing afterChristian Horner was dismissed from his position. Mekies thus became the first person since 2005 to take charge of Red Bull’s main Formula One team. His first race in charge was the2025 Belgian Grand Prix atSpa.[8]
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