According to reports, Christian Horner, the chief of Red Bull, engaged in crucial discussions with Ferrari’s president, John Elkann, and team principal, Frederic Vasseur. The trio was seen conversing in the paddock during the thrilling Monaco Grand Prix. Later, Elkann and Vasseur joined Horner in his motorhome to carry on with their discreet deliberations.
The discussions centered around significant changes within Red Bull’s junior team, AlphaTauri, as Ferrari race director Laurent Mekies steps in as the new team principal, succeeding the retiring Franz Tost.
Mekies will be collaborating closely with Peter Bayer, former FIA secretary general, who will be assuming the role of CEO at the team. These developments marked a significant shift in the team’s personnel structure.
Red Bull and Ferrari have encountered an obstacle concerning the concept of gardening leave now that their positions have been solidified. As reported by Formu1a.uno, the trio engaged in intense discussions regarding the duration of Laurent Mekies’ gardening leave period, which could potentially last up to six months. However, there is still a possibility of Mekies departing from Ferrari even before the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix.
This possibility remains viable due to Ferrari already having lined up a replacement for Mekies. The team has reportedly reached agreements with several noteworthy individuals from Red Bull, who, if the deals are finalized, would also be subjected to gardening leave as per the terms.
Amidst the numerous moving pieces, it appears that Ferrari and Red Bull may not be fostering a harmonious relationship. The decision to appoint Mekies as Tost’s successor at AlphaTauri did not sit well with Elkann and his team. Due to a premature leak to the media, the announcement had to be made earlier than originally intended. Tost acknowledged that certain parties were displeased with the situation at the time.
The announcement, to tell you the truth, was not planned to come up now, this was planned much later,” Tost told Motorsport.com. “But as you all [journalists are] very professional, there were some leaks in the press.
“And I didn’t want to come here to Baku – it was in the Gazzetta dello Sport, for example, that Laurent will come to us – and to tell all to you, ‘no, I don’t know anything,’ because it’s not the way of how we are working.
“So, we said ‘Okay, we go out with the press release.’ It was planned to do at a later time in the year. But now it’s out. And of course, I can imagine that some people are not happy about this.”
The current season has posed significant challenges for AlphaTauri, as they have only managed to secure two points in the first six races. Helmut Marko, the advisor of Red Bull, openly expressed his discontent with the team’s performance. In response, Red Bull CEO Oliver Mintzlaff issued a directive for the junior team to become more closely integrated within the organization.
However, the timing of Laurent Mekies’ transition from Ferrari to AlphaTauri, a crucial component in achieving this synergy, remains uncertain, leaving him in a state of uncertainty.
