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.

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 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.

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.

Laurent Mekies is experiencing his first Formula 1 weekend as team boss of Red Bull Racing. The Frenchman already proves to be the connector that the Austrian racing team could use so much, at a

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

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.

Isack Hadjar reacted on Thursday to Laurent Mekies' promotion from Racing Bulls boss to Red Bull as replacement for Christian Horner by saying it could be "useful" for his own Formula One prospects.

Christian Horner’s sacking from Red Bull sent shockwaves through Formula 1. But his replacement Laurent Mekies could be the calm presence the team needs amid what promises to be an intense period of scrutiny.

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