Former Red Bull mechanic Calum Nicholas says the Milton Keynes outfit’s Red Bull Ford Powertrains project has surpassed internal expectations.
Ahead of the introduction of Formula 1’s new regulations in 2026, which feature an almost 50:50 split between the internal combustion engine and electrical power, Red Bull took on the task of manufacturing its own power units in a works partnership with Ford.
As a result, Red Bull entered the 2026 season with a lot of unknowns. But the Hungarian Grand Prix demonstrated the reliability and performance of the powertrains, with all four Red Bull Ford-powered cars finishing in the top 10.
Speaking on the team’s official Talking Bull podcast, Nicholas explained: “It’s hard to put into words what sort of a monumental challenge we set ourselves with this power unit.
“We’re here at the last race before the August break and have four Red Bull Ford Powertrains cars finish in the top 10 today, you have to look at this project as an unbelievable success so far.
“It is far beyond what others expected of us, but also beyond what we thought we might be capable of this year.”
Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Liam Fabre
He added: “We certainly expected more gremlins than we’ve encountered. The ones that we have encountered, we’ve dealt with well and quickly. We’ve brought upgrades to the car that seem to have made a big difference.
“There are still some things for us to work out, but you look at the success and the results we’ve had. Yeah, there’s been some rubbish weekends because that was to be expected, but also, weekends like this are an incredible point to be at in this year, which was going to be a learning year.”
Heading into the summer break, Red Bull currently sits fourth in the constructors’ championship with 177 points. Mercedes leads with 379 points and Ferrari and McLaren are second and third with 307 and 220 points, respectively.
