All the focus at the upcoming Belgian Grand Prix is going to be on Red Bull and new team principal Laurent Mekies.

Laurent Mekies has a monumental task on his hands after Red Bull confirmed Christian Horner had been relieved of his team principal duties in the aftermath of the British Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen finished fifth at Silverstone, but his Red Bull teammate Yuki Tsunoda fared far worse.

Tsunoda has finished last in back-to-back races, while the man on the other side of the garage, Verstappen, was complaining about his set-up.

Martin Brundle suggested Horner hadn’t been told exactly why Red Bull sacked him, but the on-track performance of the team can’t be ignored.

Red Bull are sitting fourth in the constructors’ championship, and Verstappen’s chances of retaining his title for a fifth consecutive year look unlikely, to say the least.

It points to a far greater problem than Red Bull’s 2025 car being slightly inferior to McLaren’s offering.

Mekies simply has to consider bringing Jody Egginton into the Red Bull fold after the work he’s done as Racing Bulls technical director and how successful their car has been this season.

Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images

Laurent Mekies must work with Jody Egginton at Red Bull after the success of Racing Bulls’ 2025 F1 car

Egginton’s Formula 1 career started at Tyrrell in 1995 before eventually making his way to Toro Rosso in 2014.

He became head of vehicle performance and deputy technical director before eventually being named technical director in 2019.

In that time, Egginton has worked with the likes of Yuki Tsunoda, Daniel Ricciardo, and the current pair, Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar.

In April, Egginton was moved from his role at Racing Bulls to Red Bull Advanced Technologies, which has a broader view of Red Bull’s work, rather than just their Formula 1 projects.

Speaking about leaving Racing Bulls for a role at Red Bull Advanced Technologies, Egginton said: “Being part of this team for over 10 years has been a fantastic experience for me, providing some very memorable moments.

“But after almost 20 years of focusing solely on Formula 1, I feel it’s time for a change.

“I will have a great remit as Engineering Director of Red Bull Advanced Technologies, and the company currently has an exciting list of projects, so I can’t wait to get started on this new challenge.”

Laurent Mekies thinks Jody Egginton was ‘instrumental’ to Racing Bulls’ success

Egginton’s role at Racing Bulls and the team’s other various guises make him one of the most important people in the team’s history.

It’s no coincidence that the car he helped design this season saw Tsunoda qualify P5 in Australia and score points in the Sprint Race in China before his promotion.

Verstappen’s camp is said to be questioning Pierre Wache, and bringing in Egginton may not only help Tsunoda understand why he can’t get to grips with the RB21, but also allay some of the Dutchman’s fears as well.

Racing Bulls’ 2025 car has developed a reputation for being quick and easy to drive, and if Egginton knows how to widen that operating window, he could be crucial to improving Verstappen and Tsunoda’s performances.

Speaking about Egginton after his role change earlier this year, Mekies said in an official statement: “As our long-serving technical director, he has been instrumental in driving innovation and fostering team growth.

“I want to thank Jody for his expertise and the important contribution he has made to the team and the company’s upward trajectory. We wish him all the best for this new challenge within the Red Bull family.”

It might be time for Mekies to be reunited with Egginton as he takes on the toughest challenge of his Formula 1 career.