Red Bull Powertrains technical director Ben Hodgkinson has revealed how Max Verstappen was left impressed during a recent tour of the new factory.
Since 2022, Red Bull has run Honda engines badged as 'Red Bull Powertrains (RBPT), but for the new regulations coming in for '26, RBPT is producing its own in-house unit for the first time.
Ford is providing technical support as part of a partnership with Red Bull and Racing Bulls set to be supplied by the new beefed-up unit, featuring 350kw of battery power, up from the current 120kw, with the MGU-H set to be removed.
Verstappen recently paid a visit to the facility in Milton Keynes, with Hodgkinson revealing what the Dutchman made of the preparations being made as Red Bull prepares to one of two new power unit suppliers in 2026, along with Audi.
Honda is also returning as a full works team, with Aston Martin.
"I think he was impressed with where we were, and we were able to show him just how much hardware is going through our build shops and on our dynos," Hodgkinson told The Inside Track podcast.
"He was able to see some engines running, doing laps, and got to hear what the 2026 power unit sounds like. It was the first time he got to hear exactly what it sounds like.
"I think he was impressed. Normally, when I show people around, they are flabbergasted at the amount of detail we go into, and it is an exceptional facility put together by exceptional people.
"The level of detail we go into on every single element is absolutely vital in trying to get where we aspire on the grid and the podium, but when you share that detail with somebody, their minds blow.
"He's got quite a technical brain, and I'm sure that's part of his advantage, to be honest. He was asking lots of really intelligent questions as we went around, and he wanted to know more about certain bits.
"[He hasn't had] much input to date, but from now onwards, as we start getting him into the simulator, and he starts working out exactly how he wants to drive this thing.
"It's got an interesting energy management challenge, and it is going to require a different set of skills from the drivers, but it is an opportunity for Max to further separate himself from the pack.
"It is going to be tricky to extract the optimum lap-time out of how you drive it, so I'm looking forward to getting Max into that, and he will certainly be giving us feedback about how things could be easier or simpler to extract the optimum."
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