Will Mekies remain at the helm of Red Bull in 2026 amid crucial transition?

Laurent Mekies’ first outing in Spa — having taken on the heavy legacy left by Christian Horner just over two weeks ago — can be described as solid and overall satisfactory.

The Frenchman has already had a taste of victory, thanks to Max Verstappen’s win in the sprint race — a result sealed by a brilliant overtake on Oscar Piastri along the Kemmel straight.

A small consolation in the main race, however, with a fourth-place finish — a result heavily affected by the FIA’s decision to delay the start.

That call ultimately undermined Red Bull’s choice to run a wet-weather setup with a high-downforce rear wing, which prevented Verstappen from challenging Leclerc for a podium spot.

With his first weekend on the pit wall now behind him, it’s already time to look ahead — and some have begun to question whether Mekies’ position will remain secure next season.

One of them is Guenther Steiner, who, speaking on the Red Flag podcast, expressed full confidence that Laurent will still be in charge in 2026.

''No doubt about it,'' he started. ''He was there when it was Toro Rosso. They know him very well from last year. He's doing a good job. He's staying. Laurent is staying, there's no, I have no doubt about it.''

When asked about Mekies’ reputation in the paddock, the former Haas team principal added: ''His reputation is that he's a very... he has no big ego not like a lot of other people in that position.''

''He knows the sport very well. He knows Red Bull very well. He worked for the FIA, where you also learn to respect, to be respected. Otherwise, you don't make, I mean, he was a deputy to Charlie Whiting.''

Finally, Steiner concluded: ''I'm so convinced he's staying, and for the right reasons he's staying, because he's good.''