Overview
- Red Bull Powertrains and the FIA both signal the internal combustion engine as the primary performance separator under the 2026 rules.
- Ben Hodgkinson expects ERS hardware and power electronics to converge near peak efficiency across suppliers.
- Fuel–engine co-development with ExxonMobil is described as crucial as sustainable fuels change evaporation behavior and push hotter combustion chambers.
- Hodgkinson cautions that the full aerodynamic reset could create larger car-level gaps than engines, with less likelihood of a 2014-style power-unit disparity.
- Red Bull Powertrains plans to run its first in-house unit on track later this month as manufacturers finalize designs ahead of the March 1 FIA documentation deadline.