Ben Hodgkinson, the lead of Red Bull Powertrains, credits a foundation of shared belief rather than mere expectation for the team’s historic achievement in becoming a Formula One engine manufacturer. The breakthrough arrived with Max Verstappen’s dominant victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, where he secured pole position and the fastest lap.
This performance, occurring 16 races into the 2026 season, silenced critics who doubted an energy drink company could successfully engineer a complex power unit from scratch to challenge established automotive titans like Mercedes and Ferrari. It marked the first 2026 pole position claimed by a non-Mercedes engine, though Hodgkinson remains grounded regarding the result. Sepang was also the first pole of 2026 by a car not powered by a Mercedes engine but Hodgkinson remained wary of too much hype when asked about expectations. The journey from building site to racetrack reality has not been easy for former champions who dominated in previous eras with engines provided by others.
Addressing the press ahead of Verstappen’s 250th career start in Singapore, the technical director stressed that winning a single race out of sixteen does not invite complacency. He noted that in Formula One, expecting success is dangerous, as it often leads to underestimating competitors. Instead, the project was built on the conviction that success was possible, not guaranteed. As soon as you start underestimating the competition is when you start losing.
The path to track-ready performance was fraught with challenges. Hodgkinson admitted there were numerous moments where progress felt stagnant, making the eventual triumph in Malaysia particularly poignant for the team stationed at the Milton Keynes factory. He pointed out that many outsiders and even internal skeptics viewed the move into proprietary engine development as an extreme, if not impossible, undertaking. There’s been lots of moments along the way where things didn’t feel like they were going very well. According to and to finally pull it all together to get that win was a very special moment indeed,”, Hodgkinson, speaking from his office at the Milton Keynes factory. Members of the press, probably even members ​of our own family thought that we’re taking on something pretty extreme, so many people didn’t think that we would be in this position — other teams.
However, the project reflects a uniquely Red Bull philosophy: an aggressive willingness to pursue bold goals and defy expectations. While rivals like Honda and Audi continue to navigate their own development hurdles, Red Bull has managed to integrate its power unit and chassis production under one roof, aided significantly by technical and personnel support from Ford. Audacious projects and just prove everybody wrong, but the collective mindset and something that I’ve found really unique about ‌Red Bull is the willingness to take on the bold. Hiring experts from other teams, while rivals could focus purely on producing a powertrain from existing facilities, red Bull had to build from the beginning.
Despite the win, Hodgkinson cautioned against obsessing over engine superiority, noting that the 2026 regulations favor overall vehicle pace. Current power units operate on a 53-47 split between combustion and electric output, and the technical team is focused on holistic car performance rather than isolated power metrics.
Reflecting on the milestone from his office, Hodgkinson expressed immense pride in the collective effort. He noted that while the FIA has already acknowledged their engine as a performance benchmark, the focus remains on the track. Holding a commemorative mug with the slogan ‘Red Bull best with ice’—a nod to the internal combustion engine—he emphasized that their commitment to excellence remains unchanged as they prepare for the remainder of the season.
