Red Bull's first F1 engine win a triumph of belief for power unit boss
F•Max Verstappen won from pole at the Bahrain Grand Prix, giving Red Bull its first victory as a Formula One engine manufacturer 16 races into the new rules era. Red Bull has now taken the only 2026 pole by a car not powered by Mercedes.
1. A belief-driven project
Powertrains boss Ben Hodgkinson said the project was built on the belief that Red Bull could win, rather than an expectation of victory. “We've won a race. One out of 16,” he said, adding that underestimating competitors can lead to losing.
2. Building from scratch
Red Bull built its power unit from the beginning and hired experts from other teams. Hodgkinson said there were moments when progress seemed difficult, but described the first win as special and said doubts about the project served as “fuel for our fire.”
3. Ford partnership and pace
Ford helped Red Bull with personnel, facilities and manufacturing. The FIA has declared Red Bull's engine a benchmark for assessing others, but Hodgkinson said the team measures itself by on-track performance and overall car pace.
