New Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies stressed that four-time Formula One champion Max Verstappen is "central" to the project of bringing the team back to the top. "Max is central to the project and he's key to the project and we need his magic at the racetrack.

New Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies says his priority is to improve the car's performance to remove any doubts Max Verstappen has about staying with the team.

Red Bull’s freshly appointed team principal Laurent Mekies has declared Max Verstappen as “central” to the outfit's long-term vision,

French engineer Mekies, previously team principal at Red Bull ’s sister F1 team Racing Bulls, has taken over from Horner and is at the helm this weekend for the Belgian Grand Prix. Mekies previously enjoyed a near-decade stint at Toro Rosso, the old name for Red Bull’s sister team, and also has experience to his name at Ferrari and the FIA.

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen has revealed his first impressions after securing a sprint victory at Spa-Francorchamps.

The Belgian Grand Prix is the first Formula 1 race since the end of the 2004 season that has not been attended by Christian Horner who was axed as Red Bull boss last week

Last weekend marked Max Verstappen’s first race under new leadership, following the dismissal of Christian Horner. Laurent Mekies stepped in as team principal, and former F1 driver Christijan Albers has weighed in on the shake-up within Red Bull.