Red Bull's Helmut Marko takes a subtle dig at Christian Horner as Laurent Mekies raved for key impact

Red Bull's Helmut Marko has taken a subtle dig at former team boss Christian Horner as he talked about the key impact Laurent Mekies has had on the outfit. The Milton Keynes-based squad is currently going through a transition phase where the former team boss has been released from his duties with immediate effect.

The attack on Christian Horner had begun already in early 2024, but after what appears to be a prolonged political back and forth, coupled with Red Bull's fall from prominence on the grid, the former team boss was dropped. The board reportedly played a role in Horner being booted out of the team, with Helmut Marko also signing off on the release.

One of the internal criticisms of Horner was how he had become a large centre of power within the team, and that was continuing to grow as well. According to reports, he was handling too many responsibilities and too many units worked under him.

With him gone, the team has brought Laurent Mekies as the replacement for Horner, and in terms of early impact, Helmut Marko seems to be impressed with what the former Ferrari man has already accomplished.

Talking to OE24, in a reply that appeared to be taking a dig at Red Bull's former team boss shared a raved review, Marko claimed that the team now has a totally different atmosphere. He said,

“Mekies is a top technician, which, with the complexity of the current Formula 1, is a huge advantage. He gets along well with people, there is a totally different atmosphere than before,”

Post Christian Horner, Helmut Marko continues to be optimistic about the Red Bull power unit

From 2026 onwards, Red Bull will be producing its own power units. The RBPT, which was set up as a result of Honda announcing a sudden departure, will have its first test next year.

While there have been many wide-ranging rumors about how the power unit could perform for the Austrian team, especially since they're doing it for the first time, Marko continues to stay optimistic. Talking about the new venture from the squad in 2026. Addressing some of the concerns, he said,`

“If you look at the experience of our competitors, that’s true. But I say: we shall see. The subject is so complex that under the new regulations everything is possible. There will be huge surprises, both positive and negative. I choose to think positively for now.”

The 2026 F1 season is the kick-off of the new era for Red Bull. It will be the first season for the team where Christian Horner won't be the one presenting the car, and it won't be the one as a customer team either.