© Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
Red Bull will continue developing its own engines after Honda leaves Formula 1 at the end of the year, and they hired a senior Mercedes figure to head the project.
Ben Hodkinson, current Head of Mechanical Engineering at Mercedes High Performance Powertrains, will become the new Red Bull Powertrains Technical Director.
Hodkinson has worked for Mercedes’ F1 engine division for 20 years and has been head of mechanical engineering since 2017.
It is as of yet unknown when Hodkinson will start in his new position as his current contractual terms with Mercedes need to be fulfilled.
Red Bull Team Principal and Powertrains CEO Christian Horner gave his comments on the acquisition.
“We are delighted to welcome Ben to Red Bull Powertrains as Technical Director,” the Briton said.
“He comes to this hugely exciting project as a proven race winner and as an innovator capable of leading a like-minded team of highly skilled engineers.
“When Red Bull announced the creation of Red Bull Powertrains it was also announcing a new phase of the company’s ambition in F1 – to bring every aspect of car design in-house and to put our destiny in our own hands.
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“The ultimate expression of that is the development of a Red Bull power unit to meet the next generation of F1 engine regulations.
“Ben’s appointment signals our long-term intent and we will support him and his team with every available resource required in order to succeed,” concluded Horner.
Hodgkinson said it was not an easy decision to leave Mercedes after 20 years.
“I’m extremely excited to be joining Red Bull Powertrains as Technical Director,” he said.
“It was not easy to make the decision to leave HPP after almost 20 years but the opportunity to take on such a far-reaching and important project is a great honour.
“Red Bull is a serious player in F1 and have been our biggest rival in the hybrid era, so I’m looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together in this new phase of the company’s journey.”
Red Bull is currently constructing its new engine factory at their HQ in Milton Keynes. It sure seems they are serious about this endeavor.
