Red Bull F1 and Laurent Mekies announce contract extension

| Getty Images Earlier this season, Red Bull announced that Max Verstappen had signed a new deal with the team, to keep him at Milton Keynes through at least the 2030 season. Now, his boss has put pen to paper on a similar deal. Red Bull confirmed on Wednesday a new long-term contract for team principal Laurent Mekies, that will keep him with the Formula 1 team through the 2031 season. The news comes as Red Bull has found improved form with the RB22, as Verstappen has won the last two races: The Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, and the Singapore Grand Prix. This has seen Verstappen put together something of a charge up the F1 Drivers’ Championship standings for the second season in a row. Last year he was a distant third behind Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris until the closing stretch of the season, ultimately finishing second to Norris by just two points. At the moment, Verstappen sits fourth in the F1 Drivers’ Championship standings with 221 points, 119 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli. While the young Mercedes driver can mathematically clinch his maiden F1 Drivers’ Championship at next week’s United States Grand Prix, Verstappen could continue to rise up the standings given his recent form, even if his effort to secure another title ultimately falls short. As for Mekies, he took over after the team parted ways with Christian Horner after the 2024 British Grand Prix, and helped Verstappen secure another Drivers’ Championship that season. Red Bull has finished third in the Constructors’ Championship race in each of the past two seasons, and currently they are fourth in the standings, just seven points behind McLaren. Red Bull announced the new deal on social media on Wednesday: Strengthening our long-term platform for success 💪 We're delighted to announce that Laurent has signed a long-term contract extension with the Team, through 2031 👏#F1 #RedBullRacing pic.twitter.com/SvEXHqyMjs — Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) October 14, 2026 In the announcement, Mekies said he was “proud” to continue the journey with the team: “I am incredibly proud to continue this journey with Oracle Red Bull Racing, and I would like to thank Chalerm [Yoovidhya], Mark [Mateschitz], and Oliver [Mintzlaff], the entire Team, and everyone involved for the trust they have placed in the project. 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. Together, with Pierre Wache’s and Ben Hodgkinson’s teams playing a central role in shaping our future, we have a strong platform for the years ahead, and we genuinely believe this is only the beginning. 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.” The team also gathered on Wednesday to celebrate Verstappen’s pair of wins, the first under the team’s new power unit partnership with Ford: Coming together to celebrate an incredible achievement, on Campus 🏠🎉#F1 || #RedBullRacing pic.twitter.com/cVHgULoZWd — Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) October 14, 2026 Red Bull and the rest of the F1 grid will head to Austin next week for the United States Grand Prix. Want to stay updated on all the latest F1 news? Download the brand new SB Nation app and join our F1 Community! There, you can read all the latest from the paddock and talk about Formula 1 all year long with fans from around the world!

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