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Zak Brown, the boss of McLaren, believed that the replacement of Christian Horner with Laurent Mekies has made Red Bull healthier. The comment was passed after a team boss meeting in which Brown met Mekies and had his first interaction with him in that capacity.
It's not a secret that Zak Brown and Christian Horner did not get along. Red Bull was a team in the ascendance when McLaren was still trying to figure things out.
The resurgence did catch a few people off guard, but McLaren's challenge to Red Bull last season meant that the two would continue to lock horns and didn't have the best relationship.
Looking at Red Bull Racing's decline in the last 18 months and how Christian Horner exercised too much power, the board decided to let him go with immediate effect. Horner has also been replaced by Laurent Mekies, a less combative and friendlier face in the paddock.
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As it turned out, the first interaction between the McLaren and Red Bull bosses had gone positively, leading Zak Brown to claim that the team was now healthier in Horner's absence. He told The Telegraph:
"I just happened to have a meeting with Laurent Mekies (Red Bull's new team principal, ed.) and I'm glad he's now in this role. I like him and am a fan of his. I think our competition is becoming healthier. And the focus is shifting more to the battle on the track. Of course, there are always political aspects to this sport, but I think it went too far before."
McLaren boss looks forward to competing again with Red Bull
With Christian Horner now out of the picture, Laurent Mekies is at the helm, with a different style of working. While Horner ran his operation in a more top-down way, Mekies is more of a collaborator. This was something that the McLaren boss acknowledged as well, as he talked about looking forward to competing with Red Bull.
Brown said:
"I'm looking forward to competing with and against Red Bull again, just as we do against Ferrari and Mercedes. On a more collegial level, because I think it's important for the well-being of the sport that we can all work together."
With Christian Horner gone, the DNA of Red Bull is going to change for sure. It remains to be seen whether it leads to an improved outlook for the team or worse.
