Laurent Mekies has since been drafted in as the F1 outfit's new team principal and CEO. Here's what you need to know about the Frenchman. MORE: Who will drive for Cadillac F1?

In his first public appearance since being appointed as the new team principal of Red Bull Racing, Laurent Mekies outlined his first impressions of the squad.

A new Red Bull era begins under Mekies at this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix. He was appointed after 18 months at Racing Bulls. He worked at Ferrari for five years, as deputy team principal and racing director, and at the F.I.A., which governs Formula 1, for four years, initially as safety director and then deputy race director.

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 has opened up about the RB21 F1 car and the challenges that came along following his Red Bull promotion.