He's enjoying a meteoric rise. After being appointed deputy director of Ferrari in 2021, Mekies became the director of Racing Bulls in 2024 and will now head up Red Bull.
The Austrian team's board has given him this weighty responsibility following his excellent management of the sister team.
Red Bull, as a brand, are therefore entering a new era. It remains to be seen what the consequences of such a change will be.
An immediate appointment
The announcement of Mekies' appointment comes after a three-week break and following the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
During the race in Northamptonshire, Max Verstappen continued to be unhappy with his car and finished 5th. Yuki Tsunoda continued to fall short of expectations, finishing 15th.
With rumours of the Dutchman's departure, Red Bull decided to make a radical decision by ousting Horner and replacing him with Racing Bulls boss Mekies.
An engineer by profession, the Frenchman has risen through the F1 ranks to become the head of the biggest project of his career.
Red Bull are on the verge of some major changes. In addition to the expected 2026 regulations, they're working on their own engine and a new wind tunnel.
They have also been plagued by several employee leaks, and need to pull themselves together after dropping to fourth place in the constructors' standings.
Mekies therefore arrives at the helm of a ship in the middle of a shipwreck, and halfway through the 2025 season. If, as Verstappen said in a post-race interview this weekend, the team is no longer in the title race, then the task will already be to look to the future.
Technical expertise and leadership
Over the past year and a half, Mekies has done a good job with the sister team. First of all, he helped coordinate the teams and put his faith in a car fighting for points.
As a former technical coordinator, he has a very good knowledge of equipment. His managerial skills have also proved invaluable to Racing Bulls, particularly when it came to replacing drivers.
Thanks to him, Isack Hadjar was able to take off this season, and he's helped Liam Lawsom recover after a nightmare start to the campaign at Red Bull.
However, it's always difficult to move on from someone who has been in the job for 20 years. All the more so in the case of Horner (124 victories, eight Drivers' Championship titles).
But, having already been at the helm of a team, and with the experience of Ferrari (2018-2024), Mekies will be able to defend himself within an organisation such as Red Bull.