Red Bull F1 has named the building of the newly established Red Bull Powertrains engine division the “Rint Building” after Austrian F1 legend Jochen Rindt.
Red Bull F1’s new engine division, Red Bull Powertrains, is expected to partner with Porsche in the future to develop the next-generation F1 power unit for 2026.
Already Red Bull Powertrains is up and running, giving it a head start on designing and engineering its own hybrid V6 engine. It is reported that the first F1 engine fire-up was done in the press.
The Red Bull F1 series of buildings on the Milton Keynes canvas are all numbered, but when it comes to the Red Bull Powertrains unit, it’s the legendary confidant of Red Bull F1’s motorsport advisor, Helmut Marko. It is called the Rindt Building in honor of Formula 1 driver Jochen Rindt.
Jochen Rindt died in a crash during qualifying for the 1970 F1 Italian Grand Prix. However, after that, the season ended without anyone surpassing Rindt, who was leading in points. The late Rindt became the champion.
Red Bull Racing F1 team principal Christian Horner explained: “We’ve passed the numbers stage, so now we call it the Rindt Building.”
“We have invested in equipment to be able to compete with the current engine manufacturers, but I think starting from scratch 12 months ago was a big hurdle.”
“We built the factory in 55 weeks. Of course the regulations are not completely clear. It’s just an important step to decide in the future.”
“Investing in Red Bull Powertrains is an incredible commitment that Red Bull has made to Formula 1.”
Last year, Red Bull Powertrains hired Ben Hodgkinson, the former head of mechanical engineering at Mercedes F1, as its new technical director.
Dozens of talented people have since followed the hiring process at Red Bull Powertrains, but most recently, the poaching of highly respected chief engineer Phil Preew from Mercedes F1’s HPP engine division. have succeeded in
British engineer Phil Prew, who spent 25 years at McLaren, is likely to take a gardening leave before starting his job at Red Bull Powertrains, given his senior position at Mercedes F1.
“Powertrains are getting stronger and stronger,” said Christian Horner.
“I think things are really taking shape. Milton Keynes has gone from being a few units in an industrial park to being a technology campus.”
“The investment by the group is big. We have hired a very impressive group of people for Red Bull Powertrains and they are working hard.”
“The first engine will be up and running soon. The learning curve is steep, but we are hiring phenomenal talent.”
