Amidst a brewing narrative of power unit development for the impending 2026 Formula One technical regulation shift, Red Bull’s advisor, Helmut Marko, has refuted Toto Wolff’s assertions that the team lags behind in engine projections.
Marko’s recent update asserts that the collaboration with Ford is yielding positive outcomes, underscoring the team’s contentment with the strides they’ve made in the project’s early stages.
The Red Bull team, headquartered in Milton Keynes, is capitalising on the current engine freeze, a provision that remains in effect until the anticipated regulation overhaul in 2026.
This freeze allows teams to commence their work on the next-generation V6 power units, designed to incorporate fully sustainable fuels and eliminate the MGU-H component.
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Discussing the advancements achieved by the Red Bull Powertrains initiative, Marko shared insights with Motorsport-Magazin, stating, “Red Bull Powertrains is doing very well. Two weeks ago, the entire engine was running on the test bench – Combustion engine, MGU-K and battery.
“There are a lot of developments going on in the battery sector.
“Thanks to our cooperation with Ford, we have a partner who, like all automotive plants, is extremely innovative in this sector.”
Marko further elaborated, highlighting the team’s progress in various aspects of engine development, saying, “According to our information, we’re well on our way as far as the internal combustion engine is concerned.
“Overall, incredible things have happened there – in a relatively short period of time, this factory has been built out of the ground – and we are certainly state of the art at the moment.
“We have the latest test benches from AVL, and have been able to attract very good people from Mercedes, Ferrari and Cosworth.
“We are fully in the programme.”
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Red Bull’s optimistic stance in the face of their rival’s skepticism is likely to be unwelcome news for Toto Wolff and the Mercedes camp.
Previously, Wolff had conveyed doubts about Red Bull’s stance on the 2026 regulation changes, implying concerns over the progress of their engine program.
He remarked, “I think what frightens him more maybe is that his engine programme is not coming along and that maybe he wants to kill it that way,” during an interview with Sky Sports.