Wolff expresses expectation: "I think Red Bull can pull it off"

Red Bull Racing surprised the Formula 1 world in recent weeks by bringing several Mercedes employees to the team. They will work on their own engine project, called Red Bull Powertrains. Toto Wolff is interested in Red Bull's working method.

The Mercedes team boss had to listen to how the team of Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez brought Mercedes people to Red Bull in recent weeks. "There are nine hundred people working in Brixworth. They approached a hundred and they managed to get ten to fifteen of them," Wolff explained in conversation with Motorsport.com Wolff explains. "These are mainly people involved in production, not performance. But if I were to build a new factory, I'd start like that too."

While Wolff expects Red Bull to succeed in developing a competitive engine, he also says it will be difficult. "However, there is still quite a long way to go from hiring a few hands full of people to having a fully operational factory with competitive engines rolling off the line. I think Red Bull can do it, given the resources they're putting in."

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton is in contention with Verstappen for the world championship this season. For now, the Englishman is 14 points ahead, but the Dutchman looks to have a good chance of a race win in Monaco.