F1 EXPLAINED: Who is Laurent Mekies?

Having spent over 20 years on the pinnacle of motorsport, Laurent Mekies has been on the helm of Formulation One’s sixth most profitable crew, Pink Bull. F1Technical’s senior author Balazs Szabo reveals some key moments of Mekies’ illustrious Curriculum Vitae.

Simply two days after the British Grand Prix, Pink Bull Racing introduced that Christian Horner would go away the crew with rapid impact. The Briton has been on the helm for nearly your complete crew’s historical past in F1 however his exit follows a few troublesome years of inner struggles since Pink Bull proprietor Dietrich Mateschitz handed away.

Horner has been answerable for Pink Bull because the crew entered the game in 2025, serving as crew principal for 20 years. Throughout that point, the 51-year-old Briton has led Pink Bull to 6 constructors’ and eight drivers’ world championship titles.

Pink Bull elected to advertise Laurent Mekies to guide the Milton Keynes-based outfit.

Mekies started his profession at Arrows earlier than working as a race engineer at Minardi. He was promoted to chief engineer at Toro Rosso previous to changing into the security director and, later, deputy race director on the FIA.

Previous to his time with Pink Bull GmbH, he served as sporting director and deputy crew principal at Ferrari from 2018 to 2023.

Who’s Laurent Mekies?

Laurent Mekies was born on April 28, 1977, in Excursions, France. After finishing his research in mechanical engineering on the École supérieure des methods aéronautiques et de building car (ESTACA), he secured a grasp’s in automotive engineering on the famend Loughborough College.

Like most racing drivers, Mekies additionally began his journey into motorsport within the decrease racing collection’. In his case, it was Formulation 3. Mekies started his journey by becoming a member of Asiatech in 2000. Not lengthy after, he broke into Formulation 1 when Peugeot introduced him on board as an engineer for its engine programme. This position shortly led to a transfer to the Arrows F1 crew – then a Peugeot-powered outfit – the place Mekies was accountable for engine efficiency from 2001 to 2002.

“I used to be first in Formulation 3 after which despatched my CV to Peugeot. Two weeks later I used to be testing as an engine provider for Arrows, whereas three weeks later I began the F1 season in Melbourne. All as a result of Jean Alesi moved to Sauber and took considered one of his engineers with him, making a emptiness at Peugeot,” Mekies stated.

In 2003, Mekies joined Minardi as a race engineer and rose via the ranks to change into chief engineer. Then, when Pink Bull took over the crew and rebranded it as Toro Rosso, Mekies stayed on, remaining with the Faenza-based outfit crew till 2014.

The next season noticed Mekies be part of the FIA as security director, He was later appointed F1 deputy race director in 2017 alongside the late Charlie Whiting. Throughout this era, the Frenchman served as Director of Car Efficiency, coordinating six departments to optimise automobile efficiency. He additionally coordinated work associated to the supervision of analysis and improvement tasks carried out by F1 groups.

In 2018, Mekies returned to the pit wall, however this time with Ferrari. Initially appointed Sporting Director, he was later promoted to Racing Director in 2021 and managed race operations, driver technique and automobile efficiency.

Mekies stayed at Maranello till mid-2023, when he accepted a proposal to return to Faenza as Workforce Principal of the newly rebranded Visa CashApp Racing Bull, taking up the position from revered crew boss Franz Tost, who remained with the Italian crew in an advisory operate, offering recommendation.

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