Will Red Bull be worse off with Mekies? Doornbos doesn't think so

“It could also mark the beginning of a new era,” Doornbos began in conversation with NOS. “Horner leaves behind a legacy. Mekies should mainly think: 'I'm starting anew and I'm doing it my way'. But they will have to start building without Max Verstappen. I think Max will be at Mercedes next season.”

Doornbos said kind words about Mekies: “He is a proud Frenchman with a passion for his profession. With his background as an engineer, he understands a lot about the car. He has worked at the international motorsport federation FIA, been with several Formula 1 teams of different cultures, and now has experience as a team boss. Someone with a wealth of experience who deserves this promotion."

For Horner, the dismissal marks his departure after twenty years. The Briton had been the team boss since Red Bull founded its own Formula 1 team. After twenty years, the marriage between Horner and the Austrian racing team comes to an end.

Meanwhile, Mekies is indeed becoming the new team boss and CEO of the team. The Frenchman, as Doornbos described, has extensive experience in various roles at Formula 1 teams. For the past year and a half, he was the team boss at Racing Bulls, Red Bull Racing's sister team.

Whether Mekies and Red Bull will indeed have to do without Verstappen next season, as Doornbos suggests, is still far from certain. In fact, GPblog understands that the power Horner wielded at the team was not sitting well with the Dutchman's camp. Now that the Brit is away from the team, Verstappen and his entourage want to see one thing change: the performances must improve with a view to 2026.