The 2024 Visa Cash App RB Car Launch took place in Las Vegas, Nevada. Peter Bayer, the CEO of Visa Cash App RB, and Laurent Mekies, the Team Principal of Visa Cash App RB, were present at the event and even took a selfie together. RB Formula 1 boss Laurent Mekies expressed his excitement for the upcoming season, stating that his team will approach it as if they were starting from scratch. Mekies, who previously worked for Ferrari, will now lead RB in a new chapter for the team. The team has rebranded from AlphaTauri to RB and has high expectations as they strengthen their partnership with Red Bull. Despite a slow start in 2023, the team made improvements towards the end of the season after implementing Red Bull’s rear suspension. This move helped them climb up the standings to eighth place after the Abu Dhabi finale.
Mekies is optimistic about carrying this momentum into the 2024 season with their new car, the VCARB 01. He hopes to learn from the World Champions and build on their recent success. Reflecting on his new role, Mekies expressed his eagerness to start fresh with RB, describing it as the birth of a new team. He recognized the team’s history and foundation but stressed the importance of approaching it with a fresh mindset.
RB has made several important appointments to support Mekies and CEO Peter Bayer. Alan Permane has been appointed as Racing Director, Tim Goss as Chief Technical Officer, and Guillaume Catellani as Deputy Technical Director. Despite these changes, Mekies acknowledged that there are still areas that need improvement before the team can compete at the front of the midfield. He emphasized the importance of understanding the team’s strengths and weaknesses and working together to strengthen any areas that require attention.
Mekies emphasized that the team’s goal is to improve in all aspects of their operations to achieve greater competitiveness. He acknowledged that this may take time and could result in a challenging start to the season, but he believes it is necessary to achieve their long-term targets. The team is committed to building a strong foundation that will consistently place them at the forefront of the midfield competition.
