Laurent Mekies, team principal of Red Bull Racing, will not attend the first Formula 1 pre-season test in Bahrain due to a minor routine medical procedure. The 48-year-old Frenchman is expected to remain in close contact with the team and join them for the second test later in February. This absence follows a successful private testing session for the team's drivers earlier this month.
Laurent Mekies, the 48-year-old French team principal of Red Bull Racing, has not traveled to Bahrain for the first official Formula 1 pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit. The three-day event is scheduled from Wednesday, February 11, to Friday, February 13. According to reports confirmed by GPblog and RacingNews365, Mekies underwent a minor routine medical procedure, leading to his decision to stay at home.
Despite his absence, Mekies is anticipated to maintain close communication with the team during the test. He is expected to be present at the Bahrain International Circuit for the second pre-season test, set for February 18-20.
This development comes after Red Bull's drivers, Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar, participated in a closed-door test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya at the end of January. The session featured the brand-new Red Bull power unit in the RB22 car, which demonstrated strong reliability. Hadjar completed 158 laps, despite experiencing a crash in one session, while four-time world champion Verstappen logged 145 laps.
The Bahrain test marks the beginning of preparations for the 2026 Formula 1 season, with teams focusing on development approaches for the new regulations.
