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Find your frequencyRed Bull boss given his wings in contract extension
Reuters • October 15th, 2026 9:19 am
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has signed a new deal with the resurgent F1 team | Photo: AP
After Max Verstappen committed to Red Bull's Formula 1 team through 2030, the four-time world champion now knows he will have the continuity he's been after with team principal Laurent Mekies signing a multi-year extension.
The team announced on Wednesday that Mekies has now signed through the 2031 season.
The 49-year-old Frenchman, who had spent six years at Ferrari before joining Red Bull's sister team Racing Bulls in 2023, was promoted in July 2025 following Christian Horner's departure.
After watching McLaren claim the 2025 constructors' championship and Red Bull get off to a slow start under the new regulations this season, the team has made impressive recent progress under Mekies.
Verstappen has won consecutive races and sits fourth in the drivers' standings, just eight points behind Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and 17 points behind Mercedes' George Russell.
Red Bull's second driver, Isack Hadjar, is eighth in the standings despite missing three races due to injury.
Red Bull is also now only seven points behind McLaren for third place in the constructors' standings.
The news of the Red Bull principal's deal comes after Max Verstappen's Singapore GP win | Photo: EPA
"I am incredibly proud to continue this journey with Oracle Red Bull Racing," Mekies said in a statement.
"What makes this team special is the way everyone comes together in pursuit of the same goal, and I feel privileged to work alongside such a talented and committed group every day.
"As we look ahead, we will continue to embrace the principles that define us: being free in our thinking, fast in our actions and bold in our decisions."
