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Red Bull Extends Laurent Mekies Contract Through End Of 2031 F1 Season
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Mekies extended as Red Bull Team Principal and CEO through 2031. Announcement made by Mark Mateschitz at Milton Keynes debrief following Malaysia-Singapore wins.
25 outlets told this the same way.
Deal to 2031
Red Bull extended Laurent Mekies’s contract as Team Principal and CEO of Red Bull Racing until the end of the 2031 Formula 1 season. Red Bull announced the multi-year extension on Wednesday, October 14, after the team’s recent victories in Bahrain, Malaysia, and Singapore with Max Verstappen. Red Bull said Mekies arrived at Red Bull in the summer of 2025 following the departure of his predecessor Christian Horner.
Mekies said, “I am incredibly proud to continue this adventure with Red Bull Racing.” Red Bull also set the context for the timing by pointing to Verstappen’s back-to-back wins in Malaysia and Singapore.
Shareholders and leadership
Red Bull shareholders Chalerm Yoovidhya and Mark Mateschitz said Laurent Mekies played a “crucial role in guiding the team through an important period of transition.” Oliver Mintzlaff, in charge of the Red Bull F1 programme as chief executive officer of corporate projects and investments, said, “Continuity in leadership is a key ingredient for sustained success.” Mekies framed the renewal as a team effort, telling Red Bull that “What makes this team special is the way everyone comes together in pursuit of the same goal.”
The BBC linked the extension to the recent contract renewal of Max Verstappen “by two years to the end of 2030,” after an interview Horner gave to the Times. The same BBC account said Verstappen’s two victories came in the wake of Horner’s claim that Red Bull had “lost its mojo, its presence, its vibe”.
Next races and stakes
Red Bull placed its leadership continuity against the immediate sporting schedule, saying it would be “Before disputing the United States Grand Prix in Austin next week.” The AutoHebdo report said Red Bull was in 4th place in the Constructors’ Championship with X points, only 7 points behind the 3rd position held by Ferrari. The BBC said Red Bull had improved its car after a difficult start to the 2026 season, with Max Verstappen taking “dominant victories in the last two races, in Malaysia and Singapore.”
Diario AS described the renewal as part of a run of contract extensions, saying “On August 20 they announced Verstappen’s renewal, on September 23 Hadjar’s, and once they had tied up their drivers, on October 14 they did the same with their chief.” Diario AS also quoted Mekies saying, “We have a solid platform for the years to come; we sincerely believe this is only the beginning.”