According to Mark Rushbrook, head of Ford Performance Motorsports, the development of the Red Bull engine for 2026 is still on track. With the introduction of new regulations, the Austrian racing team is partnering with the American automotive giant – Red Bull Ford Powertrains was established earlier this year. Despite rumors of issues with the new powertrain, everything is reportedly proceeding as planned.
Red Bull will end its successful partnership with Honda at the end of this year to develop its own engine with Ford’s assistance from 2026. The new regulations stipulate that Formula 1 cars must evenly distribute power between an internal combustion engine and an electric battery – a rather complex hybrid system. Recently, there were rumors that Red Bull was struggling with the development of such an engine, but Mark Rushbrook assured in an interview with British Autosport that everything is on schedule.
“Things are getting better every day,” said Rushbrook. “Overall, we are on track with what we are delivering for the development of the combustion engine and the electric components. Of course, there is still a lot of work to be done and a lot to prove in terms of durability, but in terms of the partnership, Red Bull is exceeding our expectations.” The American confirmed that Ford is contributing more to the project than initially expected. “Our initial focus was mainly on the electric side of things,” he explained. “But with what we can build in our advanced manufacturing facility, it’s already more than that – we can really contribute to the overall development.”
Experienced Staff
“We are literally making parts every day and sending parts to the test centers in Milton Keynes daily,” he proudly revealed. “Many of these are actually going into production. It tests our people and our facilities and forces us to try things we have never done before. Quality control and the required precision have never been so important. We have learned a lot and have managed to meet these requirements.”
Thus, Formula 1 poses a greater challenge than other auto racing classes Ford has been involved in, also because rivals like Mercedes and Ferrari have much more experience and have built up a vast amount of expertise over the years. For this reason, the Americans have also acquired a lot of knowledge from other teams. “It’s completely rebuilt, but with experienced people who have already been in Formula 1,” Rushbrook explained. “That being said, there are also new people or people with less experience.”
Team boss Christian Horner previously admitted that it will be ‘challenging’ for Red Bull and Ford to compete against established manufacturers. “We are meeting all our internal targets, but there are always exceptions, right?” Rushbrook responded when asked. “You never achieve one hundred percent. But in terms of meeting our power figures, absolutely. It’s the durability tests we now have to comply with. The reality of the project is that you can never perfectly comply with that. Fortunately, you know that’s going to happen along the way and it’s a matter of how you respond to it.”
New Power Dynamics
For now, it’s difficult to paint a clear picture of the power dynamics between the different manufacturers. “You don’t know where they stand,” Rushbrook explained. “Until you test the engines under the same conditions, you just don’t know. There is speculation about who stands where, but honestly, no one can really make statements about that.” According to the latest rumors, Mercedes currently holds the best cards. Horner previously referred to the German auto giant as “confident” in view of the new regulations.
Rushbrook also sees confidence in the Silver Arrows, although he emphasizes that all engine developers can adopt different strategies. “Within the rules, you can decide what is possible,” he concluded. “We have said: ‘This is what we can do and this is the way to it’. But possibly Mercedes or Charles Leclerc has thought of something completely different. That can turn out well or badly for us. Everyone can say they are on schedule, but that says nothing about their development.”
