In 2021, the ground where the Red Bull Powertrains factory now stands was empty. Today, the vision of Dietrich Mateschitz, the team’s owner who died in 2022, has been realised. For the first time in its 21-year history, it is competing as a manufacturer in its own right.
“We have to say a huge well done to everybody at Milton Keynes,” Laurent Mekies, the team principal, said, referring to the team’s factory in England.
“On the power unit side, we can’t forget that a few years ago, it was a field where we now have our PU factory.
“From the guys who were there from Day 1, to the ones who came after, they’ve done an amazing job to just get the car out of the garage in Barcelona, to do that magic 100 laps on the first day.
It was historical. They should be proud, and we are very proud of them.” The reliability of the Red Bull power unit during testing in Spain and Bahrain surprised many.
This year, the system is powered by an even split between the internal combustion engine and electric energy and runs on 100 per cent sustainable fuel.
On its Grand Prix debut last weekend in Australia, it powered Max Verstappen, a four-time Formula 1 champion, to sixth from 20th on the grid after he crashed in qualifying. Hadjar retired after 10 laps with an engine issue, but Arvid Lindblad, a rookie driver with Racing Bulls, was eighth.
When Honda, Red Bull’s previous engine supplier, announced in 2020 it would leave Formula 1 at the end of 2021, it forced the team “to take control of our destiny,” Christian Horner, the team principal at the time, said. “It shows a commitment from Red Bull and that Dietrich Mateschitz is not afraid of risk,” he said. In 2023, Red Bull entered into a partnership with Ford to help develop its power unit.
The automaker is providing technical expertise in areas like combustion engine development, battery cell and electric motor technology, power unit control software and analytics. “We have to recognise the fantastic job that the engine people have done,” Pierre Waché, the Red Bull technical director, said.
“To be able, as a start-up, to make an engine and to avoid looking stupid on the track is a massive achievement.” These are very early days for Red Bull as a manufacturer in competing with two giants, Ferrari and Mercedes. Mekies said his team could not be satisfied with its achievement in simply making the grid. “We know very well the size of the competition,” he said. “But we know we are going to run into several uncomfortable moments, where the gap to the competition will be too big, where the car will stop on track. It’s part of the game, but we are happy to be in the game. It’s going to be a huge development race on the chassis side, PU side, but it’s what we all love.”
Red Bull is renowned for its chassis development. Since 2010, it has won eight drivers’ titles, four each for Sebastian Vettel and for Verstappen, and six constructors’ championships.
Alongside the changes to the power unit, the aerodynamics regulations have also undergone modifications.
An area of concern for Red Bull is its wind tunnel, which Horner said was “a Cold War relic,” leading to a lack of correlation between the results from the tunnel and the car on track. With teams racing to develop their cars, Red Bull cannot afford to be behind its rivals.
“The team struggled a lot with correlation at the end of the last regulations, mainly for two reasons,” Waché said.
“The first is because the wind tunnel we have is quite old. It’s the oldest in Formula 1.
One asset Red Bull can rely on is its star driver, Verstappen. During testing, he criticised the new regulations, which he said had delivered cars akin to “Formula E on steroids,” referring to the all-electric series, and would make the racing feel artificial.
It led to questions about Verstappen’s long-term future in the sport, which he did not dismiss. “When you’ve already won and achieved everything, then driving in F1 doesn’t really have to happen anymore,” he said.
“There are lots of other fun things you can do, and that’s what I’m definitely going to do. Maybe already this year and in the years to come.” He said the new regulations won’t help him stay in the sport “for a very long time.”
Mekies said he had “zero concerns” over Verstappen’s commitment to Red Bull. He has another three years remaining on his contract with the team.
Verstappen said that working with the team’s own car, and everyone involved with it, was “super fun.” But he wishes the series had not taken the path of greater electrification.
“As a purist, as a motorsport enthusiast, I would have preferred it to be different,” he said.
“I also know I have to make do with this. I can’t adjust it now. I will always try to get the most out of it.”