Red Bull rates its first in-house engine four or five out of 10

Technical director Pierre Waché says the project still has significant room to improve.

Red Bull’s first power unit developed with Ford is still far from its full potential. Technical director Pierre Waché rated the project four or five out of 10, while saying there is plenty of room for improvement.

The assessment is notable because Red Bull has become a power unit manufacturer for the first time after years of relying on outside partners. The team built its engine department in Milton Keynes and had to establish both its processes and workforce from the ground up.

Waché described the project as an ongoing learning process. He also pointed to the advantage of controlling both the chassis and the engine: it gives the team more freedom in development, while placing greater responsibility on it for the final result.