During the Miami Grand Prix, Horner responded to claims from Mercedes and McLaren that Red Bull would be weaker without designer Adrian Newey. McLaren CEO Zak Brown thought Newey’s departure might start a chain reaction.
Horner said Red Bull Powertrains got 220 people from Mercedes High Performance Powertrains in Brixworth. He also said they attracted many people from McLaren.
Wolff from Mercedes disagreed with Horner’s numbers. He said they only lost 19 engineers, not 220.
Before the 2026 regulation changes, the job market for engine experts has been competitive because more manufacturers are joining F1.
Red Bull decided to make its own engines, so they invested a lot in their RBPT division in Milton Keynes. Audi is also hiring for their first F1 engines.
Wolff believes Mercedes’ team in Brixworth is still the best. He thinks they’ve been leading since 2014 and will continue to do so.
He’s excited to see how the power units will perform in 2026.
