Red Bull issue defence over 'crazy' F1 decision

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has labelled the Milton Keynes-based squad's decision to field its own power unit this year as “crazy”.

A regulation reset will come into play next year, with significant changes being made to both the power unit and aerodynamic rules.

Red Bull pledged to construct its own engine for the new era and has been working in tandem with Ford to produce the unit.

With the project now in its final stages before its on-track debut next month, Mekies stated it was a momentous call to make.

"We've said it many times now, the decision to do your own power unit, in the case for us with the support of Ford, is the craziest decision one can take,” Mekies told media including RacingNews365.

“It was a crazy call, probably a call that only Red Bull can make.

"We started in this field, we now have a building, we have the dynos, we have the 600 people, and we will try to fight against people who have been doing it for 90 years.

“We love the challenge; we love that idea. It's very Red Bull, very proud to do it with Ford.”

Red Bull is hoping to continue its world championship-contending form alive next year, despite the rule change and the mammoth project of fielding its own engine.

Mekies asserted the scale of the change means Red Bull can't expect to have the benchmark power unit when the cars hit the track at the end of January.

"It would be naive to think that we are going to land it on the top spot straight away there,” he said.

"We know we are going to have a few very, very tough months.

“Many sleepless nights, a few headaches, but it's also part of the privilege to be associated with this sort of challenge.”