Laurent Mekies credited with ending Red Bull's second seat "curse"

Motorsport broadcaster Will Buxton suggests that Red Bull's team principal, Laurent Mekies, has lifted the team's long-standing curse of failing to secure a second seat for their four-time champion Max Verstappen. Buxton credits Mekies' modern management style for creating a more supportive team culture, in contrast to the previous ruthless environment under Christian Horner and Dr. Helmut Marko.

Red Bull struggled to find a suitable teammate for Verstappen, replacing Sergio Perez with Liam Lawson in 2025. Lawson stayed with the team for just two race weekends before returning to Racing Bull. Yuki Tsunoda then filled the role for the remainder of the 2025 season, followed by Isack Hadjar in 2026.

According to Buxton, Hadjar's success in the role can be attributed to Mekies' approach, which allowed him to take nearly two months off, recover, and return with a new contract. This change in team dynamics, coupled with Hadjar's resilience, may have helped end the supposed curse surrounding Red Bull's second seat.

Hadjar did suffer a wrist injury during the summer break, causing him to miss the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. However, he made a strong comeback, finishing third in his return race.