12/09/2025 10:35
On Sunday, Max Verstappen won the Italian Grand Prix; on Tuesday,
he drove in a test day at Monza, and on Thursday, he was paying a
special visit to the engine department in Milton Keynes. There, he
was joined by team principal Laurent Mekies and advisor Helmut
Marko, who joined him on a tour of the facility by technical
director Ben Hodgkinson, the man behind the Red Bull Ford
Powertrains project, as the F1 team develops its own engine for
2026 for the first time in its history. Even though the four-time
F1 champion will be in action at the Nordschleife this weekend for
his GT racing debut, Verstappen took time out of his schedule to
visit. He also personally attended the debrief of the Italian GP
with the team. The joint appearance of Verstappen and the Red Bull
management underscores the increased unanimity within the
organisation, with confidence growing toward the final stage of the
season. For 2026, however, there remains uncertainty. As with all
of the F1 teams, the question is how the new engines will compare
with the competition. In the past, there were rumours that Red Bull
Powertrains was lagging, but those noises have subsided in recent
months. Only during the first test in January will it become clear
where it really stands. Until then, the engine department continues
to work hard to develop a PU it hopes will maintain its success in
the future. The visit by Verstappen, Mekies and Marko will at least
provide the employees in the engine department with extra
motivation to compete with their major rivals.
