Ford warns of technical obstacles in Red Bull project

Asked where the project currently stands relative to the competition, Rushbrook remained deliberately cautious. He emphasized that the real pecking order only becomes clear on track.

"In terms of where we are competition wise, we don't know. We believe the team's been working very hard. But until you really see the racetrack in a race car, and you see where everybody else is, we don't know relative to that,” he said.

He openly acknowledged there will be obstacles along the way. “We know there's a likelihood that there will be challenges along the way. There will be problems to solve. It's racing at the top of the motorsports pyramid,” the Ford Racing boss added.

Throughout the process, Ford is fully relying on its collaboration with Red Bull, according to Rushbrook. “We are committed with Red Bull to be there to support and to do whatever is needed to overcome these challenges,” he stated.

When asked as a follow-up whether the project is on schedule despite everything, Rushbrook answered briefly but clearly. “Roughly, yes.”

The American underlined that the technical obstacles are not limited to the run-up to the new F1 season, but will always remain present. “There's always challenges, right? There will continue to be challenges for the five years that we're racing these power units,” Rushbrook said.

His confidence lies mainly in the joint effort to tackle those challenges: “We know Red Bull's commitment, we know our commitment.”

Asked about reliability, a topic also raised by drivers in conversation with this website, Rushbrook explained that the concept is much broader than just the mechanical aspect.

“There's always, there's the mechanical reliability, if you look at it in terms of making fuel power, that's one part of it. But there's also the reliability of your calibration and being able to optimize that power,” he continued.

It is precisely that complexity that, according to Rushbrook, can introduce new risks. “And if something goes wrong with your calibration or it does something that the mechanics is not expecting, then it could induce a mechanical error.

Rushbrook spoke with GPblog in Detroit ahead of the Red Bull Ford launch. In the same interview, he went in-depth on the role Max Verstappen plays in the development of the new power unit and explained how valuable the four-time world champion’s feedback has proven to be.

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