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.

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 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.

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

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.

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.