No Mercedes for Verstappen, Leclerc and Hamilton talk upgades and Mekies steps out in a suit to overtake Christian Horner’s place as Red Bull's Team Principle.

Round 13 and we are at the Belgian Grand Prix for this seasons third sprint weekend. As media day comes to an end, let’s talk about what was being said in the paddock.

During the short break, the biggest news to be released was the exit of team principle and CEO Christian Horner after 20 years at Red Bull Racing. He was given the role at the age of 31 years old (the youngest in F1 history) and did an incredible job at bringing the formula one team from nothing to championship winners. However, in the span of just a year, the team has suffered extensive scrutiny in the handling of the second seat. What started as blame on Sergio Perez soon brought to light faults in the car itself, as apposed to who was driving it. Then came the allegations of Horner and inappropriate messages. Despite the allegations being dismissed, whispers still roamed the paddock. It also led to highlight cracks in the management and ownership of the team. Then followed the announcements of key figures leaving the team – such as the well-respected figure of Adrian Newey.

The latest controversy which had been lingering, since the allegations till now, is

Team Verstappen vs Christian Horner. Whether it was the heavy rumours of Max Verstappen, Red Bull’s golden boy, leaving Red Bull for Mercedes that was the final blow for the owners to dismiss Christian Horner, we will never really know (unless drive to survive season 9 spills some spoilers for us). But this whole domino effect is what has led to Laurent Mekies (previously sister team Visa Cash App Racing Bulls Team Principle) now stepping up to take over Horner’s role. Today Mekies walked

into the paddock looking sharp in a suit which certainly showcased an image of ‘I am ready for this job’. Drivers and journalists have been full of praise of his abilities to take on this high-profile position despite him maybe not being the first person on everyone’s mind to take over the job when Horner’s exit was announced. He has done well to build up the racing bulls’ team into a respected midfield car this season; so, the question is now if he can do the same for the main team. There is certainly big shoes to fill.

As the team takes on the challenge of a new team principle

for the first time, Red Bull fans can breathe a sigh of relief as Max Verstappen and Toto Wolf both shut down any rumours of Max Verstappen signing a contract for a move to Mercedes. It was reported today that the exit clause in Max Verstappen’s contract has now expired and there is allegedly no way out of his contract until 2027. The four-time world champion has said today, “From my side, there is nothing to say about my future. I know that I’m here and I’m happy with where I’m at”. Toto Wolf was also asked about the rumours to which he insisted that “the direction of travel is definitely that we want to continue with George and Kimi”. After heavy rumours over the mini break of Verstappen and Wolf meeting in Sardinia for contract talks, their words today have put an end to any speculation of Max joining Mercedes for 2026.

Another team facing questions is Ferrari as they have failed to win a race this season so far. Last weekend, it was suggested that drivers Hamilton and Leclerc were testing out a new rear suspension at their home track in Mugello ready for this weekend. However, both drivers had said that the change would not bring much difference to the results. Leclerc described the upgrade as a “change in the right direction” but would “be careful” of saying it is going to be a change that would put them on the top step of the podium this weekend. He remained optimistic that the upgrade is the right step forward and teammate Hamilton also described the upgrade as a good sign and that it is nice to see changes taking place, “I was just really greatful to see we’ve got new parts. We’ll try and put them to use this weekend”.

Teams will only get one practice session this weekend to finetune their cars as the race weekend enters a sprint format. This means that the practice session and sprint qualifying will take place on Friday. The sprint race and main race qualifying will be on the Saturday and the Main race event will take place on the Sunday. It is expected to be a wet weekend throughout.