Laurent Mekies: Only found out about the job as Horner's successor shortly before!

(Motorsport-Total.com) - Laurent Mekies is the new team boss at Red Bull Racing - a news that even took him completely by surprise: "Well, you know, it was just as much a surprise for me as it was for you," the Frenchman explained on Friday before the Belgian GP ( all TV times at a glance ) at his first press conference in his new role.

"In my case, it was probably very similar to yours," reports the 48-year-old, describing how he learned of the decision: "I received a call just a few hours before everyone else was informed. The call came from Oliver [Mintzlaff] and Helmut [Marko]. And of course, it took me completely by surprise."

At the time, Mekies was in England with the Racing Bulls, and the call took him so by surprise that he "initially asked for a few hours to think about it." "But you quickly realize that you're starting to process everything, and then you say to yourself: Wait a minute, this is Red Bull calling you to take on this role."

"How could that be anything but a great honor and privilege? And that's exactly what it was. You immediately feel that Red Bull energy. So that's how it happened. Of course, I called her back, and the rest is history."

Horner's exit plunges Mekies into emotional chaos

Nevertheless, Mekies makes no secret of the fact that his thoughts were also with Christian Horner at that moment. "It's something I didn't expect at all," he admits. "And he's been nothing but extraordinarily supportive of me over the past two years."

"It's no secret that he - along with Oliver and Helmut - was the one who brought me back into the Red Bull family a few years ago," the Frenchman recalls, saying that he actually owes his position to the man he has now succeeded at Red Bull .

"That's the kind of mix of emotions you have to deal with in a moment like this. But, as I said, the dominant feeling is: Red Bull is calling. And then it's a question of loyalty to the brand, and you say to yourself: If you think you need me there, then I'll go there."

When asked if he barely slept in the days following because of the excitement, Mekies replied with a grin: "In our business, we're used to not sleeping much anyway, aren't we? So that's not really the important thing."

What robbed Mekies of his nights

"The more important question for me was: How do you start? What probably really kept me from sleeping that night was the thought of how best to proceed. Because the first thing you think about is: You have to get to know the people."

That was the most common thought on the new Red Bull team boss's mind during his first night. "How do you use the time to get to know all these extraordinary people, to meet the teams, to understand each other, to grasp the strengths, to understand the dynamics—all that?"

Only two weeks have passed since Horner's departure ( more on the background ), and "we're still nowhere near where we want to be," Mekies recalls. "But it's a completely new feeling when you start this process and get to know more people day by day. It's a truly remarkable journey."

Competition convinced by new team boss

Hardly anyone doubts that he has the caliber to lead Red Bull back to success. Sauber team principal Jonathan Wheatley, for example, who has known Mekies personally for many years, has nothing but praise. "Laurent is an incredibly impressive personality," says the Briton. "He has a wonderful way of leading people."

"I think the role of a team leader is essentially to motivate the team, put the right people in the right positions, and give them the best opportunities and tools to do their jobs to the best of their ability."

"I have no doubt that Laurent will excel in this regard," says Wheatley. "I'd like to take this opportunity to wish him all the best for the future. I couldn't be happier for him."

Laurent Mekies announces "no new target"

When it comes to his own goals, the new Red Bull team boss isn't shy about it. "At Red Bull, there's only one goal—and that goal is shared by everyone from the board to every single member of the F1 team," he emphasizes. "You're here to win and fight for world championships."

This is by no means a new or changed objective. "It's not a newly formulated claim, either, but rather a renewed commitment from the entire team and the Group: We are a team that wants to fight for the title, and we will do everything we can to ensure this in the future."

The Frenchman even goes back to the beginning. "I'm sure you all remember the early days when Red Bull entered Formula 1," says Mekies. "We all want to feel that feeling again. We all want to race. That's what we love. And that's the foundation of our culture."