The joint Formula 1 adventure between Red Bull and Ford began a few years ago, but only now has the moment of truth arrived. Motorsport director Mark Rushbrook can only imagine how good the new engine really is.
Whether Red Bull and its two Formula 1 teams can play an important role in the coming season will depend, among other things, on the new engine, which was developed and built together with Ford. The non-public test drives in Barcelona in a few days will at least give an indication of where the journey is headed. A reliable forecast is currently impossible.
“It’s now almost three years since we announced our partnership with Red Bull. It was fantastic to develop the new Power Unit with them. But time has flown. And suddenly the time has come. […] We think we’re in a good position, but until we drive on track we won’t really know,” said Ford’s motorsport director Mark Rushbrook in an interview with Marca.
Does Red Bull have an engine advantage? “We’ll see”
There have been rumors for a few weeks now that Red Bull and Mercedes will have an advantage over the competition when it comes to engines. But Rushbrook didn’t want to go too far out on a limb and simply said: “We’ll see.”
Ultimately, many factors are needed to lead to success, emphasized the person responsible. “Having an advantage in one area does not mean you have an advantage in general.”
Red Bull, Ford and the important Verstappen question
One thing is clear: a powerful engine is of fundamental importance for Red Bull and therefore also Ford in order to prevent Max Verstappen from leaving. “The decisive factor is the performance on the track. We all want to win. And at Ford we want to give the best driver the best material to win: the best car and the best engine,” said Rushbrook.
Ultimately, the entire development process was a complicated matter. “We knew that it would be that and that’s what it was. We see a pace of development in Formula 1 that is not found in any other discipline. It’s definitely a different level,” marveled Rushbrook, who didn’t want to rule out the possibility that the beginning would be bumpy: “It’s hard to imagine that we’ll be successful straight away, but maybe that’s how it will be.”