With the World Cup F1 now come to life, but always sees the Red Bull dominate with its absolute champion, that is Max Verstappenthe thoughts of many are shifting to what will happen from 2026 with the new technical regulation regarding power unit. In fact, at the beginning of next year the teams will be able to begin their work on the new generation cars, a challenge that involves manufacturers and engine engineers.
Speaking of engines/power unitcall them what the hell you want, the situation of Red Bull sparked a bit of controversy a few years ago, when the Honda he effectively left the team Milton Keynes (only to then return to brand the RBPTat least officially, ed.) to focus exclusively on the 2026 power units. At that point, Horner and the singer company thought well of establishing the Red Bull PowerTrains in 2021.
A new challenge for Red Bull, which didn’t waste any time, wanting to raise its level not only with regards to the chassis, but also by becoming an engine engineer. Something that may seem impossible, but in reality, once the right technicians have been hired, with the most suitable structures (and we are sure that in Milton Keynes they have plenty of them, ed.) something really important can be created, even in a short time. relatively short (we are still talking about years, let’s be clear).
F1 | Red Bull, Horner: “We are 70 years behind Ferrari”
But what do we mean exactly? There Red Bull, after Honda’s “farewell” announced in 2020, thought well of hiring around 150 technicians and engineers from the Japanese company to give continuity to its project. What does this mean? In summary, making a very simple statement, from 2026 we will have a power unit Red Bullbranded Fordwhich will provide the battery, with derivation and knowledge Honda. Putting it on this level, it is easy to think that the Austrian team, in reality, is not such a “novice” in the construction of turbo-hybrid engines.
This is the message he wanted to get across recently Christian Horner, team main of the Anglo/Austrian/Thai partnership. Questions on this topic, as we have already written, are increasingly frequent, and the British man, partly to put his hands forward, partly perhaps to make fun, thought to say: “We are 70 years behind the Ferrari“.
Apart from the fact that from 2026 we will practically start from scratch, with one power unit simpler, without theMGU-Hand therefore everyone will be in the exact same conditions, but dear Christian, the PU came into force in F1 only since 2014, and every few years in this sport there have always been regulatory changes that have also involved the engines, so, objectively, we would have gladly spared you this paraculata.
F1 | Red Bull PowerTrains derived from Honda and Mercedes
For heaven’s sake dear Red Bull, we’re not talking about card games, let’s be honest, but neither should we pass off as insurmountable obstacles issues which evidently, in reality, are simpler than one might, or rather, want to say. We wrote it before: 150 technicians and engineers who previously worked for Hondafrom 2021 they are paid by Red Bulland are participating in the birth of the new one power unit.
Not only that, however, because over the years the Milton Keynes team has marketed technicians, fishing, imagine, from Mercedes: in 2022, in fact, the hiring of Ben Hodgkinson, former boss High Performance Powertrains of the Silver Arrows, who was assigned the role of technical director. Later they also arrived Steve Blewettproduction director, Omid Mostaghimihead of the engine, electronics and energy recovery sectors, Pip Clode boss mechanical projects for energy recovery, Anton Mayoresponsible for the design of combustion power units and finally Steve Brodie, leader of the operations of the thermal part.
These last lines are an excerpt from one of our articles about itand which also tells us about the difference between what was there Hondaand what will be the new challenge of the Japanese company by providing only theAston Martin from 2026. All this to tell you that, despite the challenge of Red Bull is certainly important and fascinating, we don’t doubt it, it’s very difficult for us to think of one RBPT “unprepared” in 2026 and not at the level of Ferrari, Mercedes And Honda itself. So, dear Hornerused to playing with words, you really can’t believe it.
Author: Andrea Bovone
Images: Red Bull
Tags: Red Bull puts hands born yesterday
