Red Bull approached former Mercedes chief: 'Of course he was spoken to'

The Red Bull Powertrains project is now in full swing, and Helmut Marko revealed before the start of the Grand Prix weekend in Saudi Arabia that a first engine for 2026 is fully ready. Andy Cowell, former head of engines at Mercedes, has not been involved despite rapprochement attempts from the Austrian racing stable.

Looking to the future

Opposite Motorsport.com, Marko indicated that Red Bull is currently on schedule with producing engines. The first engine is already complete, although this will certainly not be the engine that will be driven in three years' time. However, it does indicate that Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez's team have the facilities in place.

Red Bull is still recruiting additional staff to ensure the project's success. It is a competitive market, however, as Audi has now also started developing its own power units for 2026. Like Red Bull, the Germans are also looking for knowledge and expertise. Moreover, Alpine, Mercedes and Ferrari are not sitting still either, and, with Honda, there may even be a sixth engine supplier in the pinnacle of motorsport.

No Cowell at Red Bull

Mercedes lost engine chief Andy Cowell in mid-2020. The 54-year-old Briton thought it was fine, but did not join another Formula 1 team. Red Bull did speak to Cowell, but that came to nothing further. "Andy Cowell is an Englishman based not far from Milton Keynes. Of course, he was spoken to, but he has developed his interests in a different direction."