Red Bull Team Principal Laurent Mekies has paid tribute to late company owner Dietrich Mateschitz at its livery launch in Detroit, as he praised efforts to create its new Formula 1 power unit.
Launching its new livery at an event in Detroit, the team enters 2026 with its own power unit, built in collaboration with Ford, which returns to F1 after a 22 year absence.
Ford took centre stage at the launch, which featured a VR experience to showcase its new power unit, as it prepares for a new chapter in the sport.
Developing the new power unit has taken years, and millions of dollars in investment, following four years of using Honda’s IP from 2022 to 2024.
Mekies then revealed one of the driving forces behind the team’s radical change in direction – that of former company owner Mateschitz.
2026 marks the start of a new and significant era for Formula One and for Red Bull,” Mekies said at the launch.
“We wanted our livery to reflect this, while also giving a nod to Red Bull Racing’s beginnings.
“We are in F1 because of the dream of one man, Dietrich Mateschitz, and several years later, he had another dream, to create an engine.
“This livery is designed to celebrate that spirit that we entered the sport with.
“In the year that an Oracle Red Bull Racing car carries a Red Bull Ford Powertrains PU for the first time, it felt only right to reflect some of our history in our livery.”
“The team have done an incredible job, to be here today and to be in the position to go to Barcelona shakedown with our own car and our own power unit for the first time ever.
“This is the result of the efforts of 2,000 people at the Red Bull Technology Campus, the most talented group that you can find and they’ve been working together to get us to this moment.
“It’s the beginning of an extremely exciting journey for all of us and we’ll take to the track as one – one Red Bull chassis and power unit.”
A bold change of direction for Red Bull in 2026?
Ben Hodgkinson, Red Bull Powertrains technical director, explained why the team opted to develop its own in-house power unit, highlighting its advantages.
“It’s a bold and audacious project, he said.
“This is about being masters of our own destiny. From the very beginning, we wanted it to be a Red Bull chassis and power unit, developed together in harmony.”
Oliver Mintzlaff, CEO of corporate projects and new investments also praised the company’s new chapter, believing gambling on its own engine is a risk worth taking.
“This is a new chapter for us”, he said.
“Building our own engine and bringing it to life on track is a remarkable step for our brand. We’re optimistic and truly excited to go live with our car and our power unit. There will be significant regulatory changes in 2026.
“Yes, the power unit is a major part of that, but there are many other elements as well. We took a similar risk when we entered Formula One back in 2005, and that mindset hasn’t changed.”
READ MORE: Red Bull pulls cover off 2026 F1 livery in glitzy Detroit launch
Discussion about this post