Ford Performance director Mark Rushbrook has publicly praised former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner while backing the leadership of his successor, Laurent Mekies. The American manufacturer acknowledged Horner’s role in building the Red Bull-Ford partnership but believed that the team was now benefiting from Mekies’ engineering-led approach as the new power unit era begins in 2026.
Horner played a central role in securing Ford’s return to F1 through the Red Bull Powertrains project. After difficult experiences with Renault and Honda’s initial decision to formally withdraw from F1, he became one of the strongest advocates of building an in-house engine program. The long-term goal was to reduce dependence on external suppliers and to integrate the power unit and chassis.
Horner also believed that a fully integrated engine project would strengthen Red Bull’s competitiveness over time. That vision laid the groundwork for the partnership with Ford, which will debut as Red Bull begins its first season running its own power unit in 2026. Ford’s Rushbrook recalled their early discussions at the company’s headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan.
“He deserves a lot of respect for what he built in the Red Bull team over 20 years, with the championships and also the technical depth that was built there,” he said, via Motorsport. “And yes, he was the one in our very first discussions. It was a very immediate relationship that was built all the way to the top of our company – and that’s part of what helped us to come into the sport in what we believe is the right way. So, full credit for everything that he’s delivered across his career.”
However, Christian Horner’s Red Bull tenure ended amid internal power struggles and declining performance in the summer of 2025. At the time, the team sat fourth in the standings, and Max Verstappen was more than 100 points behind the championship lead.
Laurent Mekies stepped into the role, and results improved across the second half of the season. Verstappen returned to regular podium finishes and narrowly missed the title, later describing the environment as feeling “like a family again.” Rushbrook believed that Mekies’ engineering background has been a major factor in the turnaround.
“I personally believe that it does help, because he has a better understanding of what it ultimately takes to deliver the car. Of course, he’s not going in there and doing the detailed engineering himself, but he’s able to support Pierre (Wache), Pedals (Paul Monaghan) and everybody. When they need help or when a project needs to be approved, Laurent is able to see it, understand it and give them the support they need,” he added.
Christian Horner leaves behind a legacy that includes eight drivers’ championships and six constructors’ titles across two dominant eras, as Red Bull enters a season without him or Helmut Marko for the first time.
Ford’s Mark Rushbrook has “a lot of confidence” in Laurent Mekies’ approach
Mark Rushbrook further explained that Ford already had experience working with Laurent Mekies during his time at Racing Bulls and felt confident about the leadership change.
“We knew Laurent from when he was at VCARB, and we already had a relationship with him preparing for 2026,” Rushbrook added in the Motorsport.com interview. “Based on that, we had a lot of confidence in what he was doing there. When the decision was made to put Laurent in at Red Bull, we were confident in who he is as a leader and as an engineer.” And I think he came in with the right approach as well.”
Laurent Mekies has already led a productive shakedown of the new Red Bull Ford Powertrains. Isack Hadjar topped the early running, while Max Verstappen finished seventh fastest with a 1m17.586s lap. Across five days of running, Red Bull completed 303 laps, and Racing Bulls added 319, a promising start ahead of official pre-season testing in Bahrain next week.
Edited by Hitesh Nigam
