Red Bull has fully committed to designing and building its own power units from 2026, when Formula 1’s new engine regulations are introduced, as part of a major investment by the team.
Its new division, Red Bull Powertrains , is already underway and the team has managed to grab some well-known Mercedes figures to give its plan a boost, before the more than likely partnership with Porsche arrives.
This includes the hiring of its new technical director, Ben Hodgkinson , who had been head of mechanical engineering in Mercedes’ high-performance power unit section since 2017, and after spending 20 years with the German manufacturer.
As Motorsport.com recently revealed, Red Bull has also signed the prestigious Phil Prew , who is perhaps best known for having been Lewis Hamilton’s track engineer in 2008, when the Englishman claimed his first world title with McLaren.
Prew, who was Mercedes’ chief engineer at its power unit division in Brixworth, has had a long career in Formula 1, which also included a period of more than two decades at McLaren.
Motorsport.com has learned that Prew is not the only signing that Red Bull has chosen from among the Mercedes workforce recently, as his thermal fluid simulation team manager, Nigel McKinley , is also expected to move to Red Bull. .
Speaking of these new additions, and especially the signing of Prew, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said the ambitions in terms of the engine of his structure were very clear, due to the type of talent being brought on board.
“I’m delighted to have Phil join the team,” he said. “He has a phenomenal track record, and has been a key component in Mercedes’ recent success.”
“It’s another statement of where we want to be with the power unit. I think we’ve built up a lot of strength and depth within the company. It’s great to see it come together and come to life.”
“Phil is one of the key signings of recent times to add to the group of extremely talented people we’ve already assembled.”
Although Red Bull is close to reaching an agreement with Porsche to enter F1, the partnership will not be formally confirmed until the FIA has finalized the 2026 engine regulations. This is expected to happen sometime during the break. summer.
Horner explained that Red Bull’s direction with its power unit division was simply focused on trying to get the best possible engine, whatever happens in 2026.
“We are simply recruiting the best for the future,” concluded the Red Bull manager.
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