© Steve Etherington for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff says “fifteen people and an empty building” will not be enough for Red Bull Powertrains to be “competitive with a new power unit in three years’ time”.
Red Bull is currently in the process of establishing their engine factory – Red Bull Powertrains. To do this, they have lured away around 15 Mercedes employees (according to Toto Wolff).
However, Wolff believes it will take a lot more for Red Bull to build competitive engines.
“Brixworth employs 900 people,” Wolff told Motorsport.com.
“They approached a hundred and they managed to get ten to fifteen. It mainly concerns people on the production side, not on the performance side.
“But if I were to build a new factory, I would start like that. However, there is still quite a long way to go from hiring a few people to having a factory producing competitive engines that are fully operational.
“But I do think Red Bull will get it done, given the resources they put into it.”
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Ultimately, the Austrian doesn’t think Red Bull will be able to produce a competitive engine in time for the major engine rules overhaul in 2025.
“Mercedes and others have been building their organizations in the sport for many decades. Fifteen people and an empty building will not be enough to be competitive with a new power unit in three years’ time.
“That said, we do take them very seriously because they are a great team and they have the financial resources to get the job done. But if we know anything, it is that things in Formula 1 take time.
“No matter how much money you throw at it, the learning process will not go any faster,” concluded Wolff.
