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.

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.

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.

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.

After more than twenty years at the helm of Red Bull Racing, Christian Horner had a wealth of experience. His successor Laurent Mekies does not have that as a team boss, but the Austrian team of Max Verstappen is in good hands - at least that's what the new team boss of Racing Bulls thinks.