Red Bull expect 'troubled days' with new PU project

Red Bull must expect "troubled days" ahead with its in-house F1 power unit, a key team technical figure believes. 

For 2026, Red Bull and RB will run power units manufactured by Red Bull Powertrains, with Ford coming in to provide technical assistance to the programme. 

RBPT will be one of two new power unit manufacturers in 2026, along with Audi as Honda also returns to a full-works attack with Aston Martin, but Red Bull has admitted caution will be key, with boss Christian Horner conceding it is 70 years behind some competitors in its understanding. 

Looking ahead to the massive rules reset coming for 2026 with the new power units featuring beefed-up electrical systems, chief engineer Paul Monaghan believes that "challenges are there" for RBPT, but that the project will deliver.

"If you look at it as a team and PU supplier, we are changing PU," Monaghan explained in an interview involving select media including RacingNews365.

"If we want to be as strong as we can be in 2026, we have to make that project work, so there are challenges there, but equally, the scope to do at least a good job if not better than we've enjoyed with Honda is there for us and we have to take it with both hands.

"It will have its troubled days, it will have its good days, but that is our engine for 2026.

"I think we can make it work, the people in the powertrain group are really committed to it and with clever people working hard, the ball is in our court."

2026 project coming together

It is not just the power units changing for 2026, with the chassis and aerodynamic rules also set to undergo major changes, with active aero being introduced. 

The advantages of being a works team will be beneficial to those teams in terms of packaging and weight, with Monaghan adding that the relationship between Red Bull and RBPT is strong. 

"The fact that you then throw in a different set of regulations merely adds to the complexity [of 2026], but the work I have seen between the Red Bull chassis side and Red Bull powertrain side is as good as and if not stronger than with any of our power unit suppliers," he said.

"We are very indebted and very grateful to Honda for everything they done with us. 

"But now we are the ones under the umbrella, and the opportunity to be better merged with the power unit is one that we can't give up or deny ourselves."