Mekies was asked about Horner’s remarks in the FIA pre-race press conference on Friday, 24 hours before qualifying for the Mexico City Grand Prix at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

The Frenchman began with a courtesy, then dismantled the premise. “Christian is entitled to his opinion. He obviously has spent a lot of time in this team and I respect his point of view,” he said, according to Crash.net.

“We certainly feel extremely differently about the vibe in the team.”

A direct answer from inside Milton Keynes

Mekies pointed to the team’s recent form as evidence. Red Bull endured a difficult opening to its first season as a works entry in the new regulations era, but Max Verstappen then won back-to-back grands prix in Malaysia and Singapore after a major upgrade package was introduced in Baku, as Formula 1 detailed in a technical piece on the breakthrough.

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For Mekies, that recovery is the whole point. He told Crash.net the team had been rewarded for a remarkable turnaround, while stressing that Red Bull “live and die with our results”. The target, he added, remains world titles, “and until we are there, nobody will feel we have achieved anything.”

The Horner line that started it

Horner’s verdict appeared in a long interview with The Times in late September, around the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend. Speaking at his Oxfordshire home, he said of the team he ran for two decades: “And I think if you look at that team 12 months down the line, it’s lost its mojo, its presence, its vibe,” as carried by Motor Sport Magazine.

Horner was removed as Red Bull team principal in July 2025 after 20 years in charge, departing with a severance package Motor Sport Magazine reported to be over £50m.

Mekies’ standing has only grown

Mekies arrived at Red Bull Racing from Racing Bulls, the sister team, after Horner’s dismissal. His position has firmed up considerably since: on 14 October, Red Bull announced an extension that keeps him as CEO and team principal through the end of 2031. The announcement followed Verstappen’s wins in Sepang and at Marina Bay.

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Red Bull sit third in the constructors’ standings heading into Mexico, level on points with McLaren but ahead on count back. Lights out at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is scheduled for 2pm local time on Sunday, 1 November.

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