RB F1 boss Mekies details new management approach

Mekies has joined the Red Bull sister outfit for its new era, with the AlphaTauri name left behind as part of a rebrand.

The Frenchman previously worked as Deputy Team Principal at Ferrari and takes over from Franz Tost, who stepped down at the end of last year following 18 years in the role.

Mekies will work alongside CEO Peter Bayer during the season following the ex-FIA man’s appointment at the squad last year.

The duo share a strong relationship and Mekies described how they are approaching the upcoming campaign from their leadership point of view.

“The interaction is very, very good,” Mekies exclusively told RacingNews365.

“It’s a new project, we are not trying to copy the model of any other teams, we are the only team to have a Team Principal and a CEO at the same level, working hand in hand.

“We are applying the same approach for the rest of the organisation. We are not looking at copying what the other guys do.

“We are trying to do what we think is best for F1 now and what is going to be best for F1 tomorrow. And Peter is a great guy, we have very well-defined parameters for each of us to focus on.

“But we equally are able to bounce back questions at each other, to challenge each other, to brainstorm together. And he's a very sharp person, a very intelligent individual.”

Previous experience a 'win-win' combination

It is not the first time that the pair have collaborated at the same organisation before as they both held roles within the sport’s governing body, the FIA.

Bayer was the Secretary General Sport for several years while Mekies acted as F1’s Deputy Race Director before moving to Ferrari in 2018.

“Obviously, we've been knowing each other for a long time and therefore it’s a win-win combination,” Mekies added.

“We had a short stint with the FIA, and then after that when I was at Ferrari, we got [to] working together on different sides of the fence.

“It has always been with very exceptional quality of interactions. And it's a pleasure to work with him daily.”