Red Bull team boss Laurent Mekies anticipates several ‘very tough months’ ahead for Red Bull’s engine project. The Austrians are on the verge of introducing their first in-house Formula 1 power unit, but according to the Frenchman, it won’t immediately be the best on the field. ‘We are going into battle with people who have been doing this for ninety years,’ says Mekies, who believes the challenge fits well with Red Bull’s ethos.
Red Bull will not only start the 2026 season in March with an entirely new car, but also for the first time with their own power unit. The racing team is currently building their first in-house engine, in collaboration with American company Ford, following the end of their long-standing partnership with engine supplier Honda in December 2025. Toto Wolff of Mercedes – a long-time engine supplier in Formula 1 – previously compared Red Bull’s new project to climbing Mount Everest.
Red Bull team boss Laurent Mekies agrees with his colleague, anticipating that his team will face a few ‘difficult months’ ahead. “It would be naive to think that we will start with the best engine right away,” the Frenchman acknowledged in Abu Dhabi. “So we know we are facing a few very, very tough months. Many sleepless nights, a few headaches, but it also comes with the privilege of being associated with these kinds of challenges.”
‘Only Red Bull Can Do This’
According to Mekies, the engine project, named Red Bull Powertrains, fits perfectly with the Austrian racing team’s ethos. “We’ve said it before: the decision to develop your own power source, in our case with the support of Ford, is the craziest decision you can make. It was probably a decision that only Red Bull could make. We are going into battle with people who have been doing this for ninety years. We love the challenge, we love that idea. It’s very Red Bull, we are very proud to be doing this together with Ford.”
