Laurent Mekies is just starting his first weekend as Red Bull team principal, and he already sees where changes are needed to get the team back on track. Red Bull announced Mekies as Christian Horner’s replacement after his sudden departure, ending a 20 ...

New Red Bull Formula One team boss Laurent Mekies praised predecessor Christian Horner on Friday and revealed the Briton had been supportive and kept in touch since his sudden sacking two weeks ago.

Laurent Mekies has admitted he initially hung up the phone after Red Bull offered him the chance to takeover as team principal.

Laurent Mekies might have faced an intense fortnight stepping into his new role as team principal, but he didn’t appear to be feeling the effects as he prepared to outline his vision.

Mekies received a surprise call from Red Bull executives Oliver Mintzlaff and Helmut Marko just hours before the news was made public. “I got a call a few hours before you guys were made aware,” Mekies told reporters at Spa on Friday. “I got a call from Oliver and Helmut, and they asked me if I would be interested to do the job.

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

Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull received a last-minute upgrade before qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix. The Japanese driver claimed seventh place on the grid, three-tenths of a second behind Max Verstappen, with Tsunoda taking his best grid position of his Red Bull tenure so far.