Liam Lawson has backed his ex-boss Laurent Mekies to excel as Christian Horner’s successor at Red Bull in Formula 1, provided he is trusted to implement his vision.
Lawson admitted he was surprised by Horner’s departure from the Austrian outfit but remains optimistic about the team’s future under the Frenchman.
Horner was dismissed earlier this month following a reported loss of confidence from senior management at Red Bull and the Max Verstappen camp.
Mekies steps up from Red Bull’s sister team to take on the dual role of CEO and Team Principal, with Alan Permane assuming leadership duties at Racing Bulls.
The New Zealander, who had only two races under Horner before being demoted, expressed his shock at the news ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.
“Yes, I would say – it wasn’t something we expected,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“But things obviously changed in Formula 1. As I said before, I think for me it was surprising having these changes.
“But it doesn’t really change too much from my point of view of what I’m trying to achieve.”
When asked how he first heard the news, he added: “Probably same as everybody else in the media. I don’t remember when it was announced. But I found out basically afterwards.”
Lawson, who revealed he had a brief text exchange with Horner since the news broke, went on to highlight Mekies’ commitment and leadership qualities as valuable assets.
“I think, for the team, having somebody like Laurent coming in is great,” he continued.
“I mean, Laurent is somebody who has done amazing things for our team.
“And he’s somebody I’ve really enjoyed working with. And I think he brings a lot with him to Red Bull Racing.”
Why Mekies is the ideal successor at Red Bull
Lawson was then asked to outline the specific strengths Mekies brings to a team, and what Racing Bulls may have lost following his switch to Red Bull.
“I don’t think we’ve lost anything with regards to Alan filling his position,” he contended.
“But I think something that Laurent has been very, very good at is leading the team. And having everybody around him.
“And, I guess, having the motivation very high and the work ethic very high in the team.
“He was very, very good for that, worked very, very hard. He’s always here on a Thursday. I think every single race weekend he’s here on a Thursday.
“Probably one of the first guys to arrive normally, and I guess, to show everybody in the team that [it] is very important.”
Lawson, who branded Mekies an “engineering partner,” was also asked whether his ex-boss is what Red Bull needs right now amid the continued issue with the second car alongside Max Verstappen.
“It’s very hard to say – I just know that he’s going to do a very, very good job regardless,” he said.
“So I think it’s hard to say what the team needs. Probably some consistency, but I know that he’ll do a good job in his position. I hope he’s trusted to do the job that he’s very good at doing.”
READ MORE – Max Verstappen delivers initial verdict on Laurent Mekies’ Red Bull F1 appointment
