Formula One Team Oracle Red Bull did not have their own powertrains for many years. Till now, the team has been depending on many engine providers like Renault and Honda to supply power to their cars. But they started planning and working on building their own powertrains since their current engine partner Honda announced that they won’t be part of F1 from 2026. After new engine regulations, there are teams who are working extensively on building their own powertrains.
The current teams with the best manufacturers in Formula One are Alpine, Ferrari, Mercedes, and Honda. However, for a team like Mercedes, they did not have any rivals who had a powertrain closer to their unit. Hence, it is indeed a big change for the Brackley-based team. And recently, the Managing Director of Mercedes AMG HPP, Hywel Thomas, explained the change they are facing after Red Bull started developing their own powertrains. In Silverstone, Thomas stated that it had been a long time since they had two manufacturers so close since the early 2000s.
Red Bull’s Powertrain Is A Big Change For Mercedes
Hywel Thomas mentioned that it is only 40 miles down the road between them and the Red Bull powertrains. The last competitor they had so nearby was Cosworth, which had its location in Northampton. Two powertrains nearby mean two potential employers under a small radius. Anyway, the F1 teams hire employees from other teams every now and then. Regarding that, Thomas acknowledged that Red Bull hired a lot of employees from Mercedes. That is why the Brackley team has a lot of adjustments to make. Although the Managing Director of Mercedes mentioned that they don’t have any problem with people leaving them to become part of different projects.
Thomas believes that they have promoted many employees over the years to leading positions at their organization. Like Mercedes give their employees to teams like Ferrari, Renault, and so on, they have many come and join their team as well. Hence, it is a common cycle between F1 teams. Hywel also revealed that Mercedes is eyeing the 2026 powertrain project. And for that, they have a lot of young and enthusiastic engineers in their group who are working on developing a 2026 powertrain. Thomas mentioned, “It is going to be awesome and successful. I am sure of that.“
Verstappen Suggests Red Bull Is Already Ahead Of Their Schedule
On the other hand, the current table topper, Max Verstappen, has high hopes about Red Bull’s powertrains. According to him, they are already running much ahead of schedule. Moreover, the first signals have been positive. Although, going against all the manufacturers would not be an easy task. Hence, Red Bull must keep trying and delivering. Verstappen also acknowledged that they started developing the powertrain at the right time and are already on par with the schedule.
In fact, they are quite ahead even though Red Bull can feel that 2026 is just around the corner. Hence, there is a lot to do, and it is essential to be on the right track. Verstappen is sure that the Red Bull team must keep pushing hard to deliver a strong and quality engine. Moreover, the Red Bull boss mentioned that Max Verstappen would be actively part of the development process. With the power plants, Verstappen will do virtual tests. The Red Bull team is high in enthusiasm. After all, it is their first powertrain in history.