Red Bull rule the F1 roost with Max Verstappen on top while Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes team, along with the rest of their rivals, were unable to mount a title challenge in 2023
Lewis Hamilton has been given reason to fear his wish for an eighth Formula 1 title may never come true after the Ford CEO sent a warning to all of Red Bull’s rivals.
Red Bull currently race with Honda-branded engines. But it is their aerodynamic strength which is most credited with the dominance of the last two title victories secured.
And it appears that this advantage will hold true for at least the next two seasons. Rivals worry that the first real chance to unseat the Milton Keynes-based team will present itself in 2026 when new auto regulations take effect.
Additionally, Red Bull and the Ford Motor Company will begin a new partnership that year. With the Powertrains project, the Formula One champions are collaborating with Ford to construct their own engines for the first time.
The American carmaker’s chief executive, Jim Farley, has been in Buckinghamshire for a while to monitor the project’s progress. Additionally, he expressed his satisfaction with the “top notch” work being done on the new engine while speaking at a Ford event.
“I got to spend a lot of time with the Milton Keynes team and with Adrian Newey, the Red Bull design guru,” he stated. Even though 2026 seems far off, there is still a lot of work to be done on the powertrain. However, I’m quite pleased with the advancement. We’re headed in the right direction, though I wish I could tell you more.
“We have the best drivers and technical assistance available. We are here to support them with the finest Ford and global resources. However, the powertrain team that Milton Keynes is developing is really excellent. We’re heading straight to the top of the podium in first class.”
Christian Horner and his team are completely new to building an F1 engine. He conveyed a similar message to Farley, speaking to Planet F1, saying that more work needs to be done over the next two years to get the new engine ready to outperform the competition by the time the 2026 season begins.
“It will be 24 months before that engine is bolted into the back of the RB22,” he stated. In the world of engines, not much time has passed, so there is still a great deal of work to be done in a short amount of time. However, I’m sure we can get there because we have the right people.
We’re on a trajectory; we won’t go into specifics about where we are just yet. But, we have a long way to go before we catch up with the manufacturers who have decades of experience in the industry. Thirty months ago, Red Bull, this project was in its infancy. Thus, the accomplishments in the last 13 months have been remarkable.”
