Albers: Laurent Mekies is a reliable choice for Red Bull Racing

      Former Formula 1 driver Christian Albers considers the appointment of Laurent Mekis a correct step for Red Bull Racing…

      Christian Albers: "Horner lost control of the situation. I don't want to belittle his achievements – he built the team from scratch and achieved great success with it, but in recent years, he has been more focused on staying in his position.

      Horner's own position was more important to him than the team. He dismissed Rob Marshall, failed to reach an agreement with Adrian Newey, offered Sergio Perez a contract extension that cost the team a lot of money. Sports results declined, questions arose about Max Verstappen's future. At some point, the owners simply said: 'Enough.'

      I am a Mekis fan for several reasons. I have worked with many engineers, but Mekis is truly good. His technical knowledge is vast in all areas. He has grown step by step: including through his work at the FIA and later at Ferrari. Twenty years have passed since Minardi, and now he has become the head of one of the biggest Formula 1 teams. I think he is the right choice."

      Mekis is open, honest, calm, attentive, and always polite. He is always approachable, which inspires trust. I hope he will have time for the people in the team to feel happy again, and he can start rebuilding. But initially, he will need a few months to get to know everyone.

      I don't believe Max said, "Either he leaves, or I leave." He isn't like that. I think he implied that something needs to change. Red Bull is nothing without Max, and it shouldn't be that way in a top team. Mekis's arrival will be a positive impulse for Red Bull. It's good that he has become both the team leader and the CEO; if anyone understands this business, it's him."