F1 News: Mercedes Reveals Red Bull Has Stolen Powertrain Engineers For 2026 Regulation Changes

Red Bull is making huge moves as they develop their Red Bull Powertrains department.

An intriguing shift is happening in the world of Formula 1. As new engine rules take effect in 2026, teams are elbow-deep in the development of their power units. Red Bull Powertrains, the team backing Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, makes a fascinating addition to the well-known manufacturers Ferrari, Alpine, Honda, and Mercedes.

Red Bull Powertrains is diving headfirst into an area where they lack experience—engine development. So, naturally, they turned to hiring seasoned experts, some from Mercedes itself.

Hywel Thomas, the Managing Director of Mercedes AMG HPP, shared his thoughts about this shift. He oversees the power units for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell cars and found this development to be quite a change. 

"I guess it's been a big change for us that we've got a competitor, however many miles it is down the road, 40 miles down the road. It hasn't been really since the early 2000s when Cosworth was in Northampton that we had two manufacturers close together."

With both Red Bull and Mercedes bring based in England, it's no surprise that a number of staff have been taken from the Brackley-based squad to help Red Bull as they begin their journey into producing their own powertrains.

"And they have undoubtedly hired a number of people, and some of them have come from our place.

"I don't think there's any secret, and there's no problem with that.

"People are going to move their careers and are going to want to be involved in different projects. We have had plenty of good people join us to replace those people that left.

"We've had plenty of really strong people promoted within the organisation."

Continuing, Thomas showed optimism on what's to come for Mercedes in 2026:

"And we've got a really incredibly strong project group that I'm sure is going to be very successful in making an awesome 2026 powertrain. 

"So it caused us to change some directions of some things that we were doing in terms of recruitment and things. 

"But we've always had a strong pipeline of graduates. We've always had a strong pipeline of young, enthusiastic engineers coming through the system. 

"And we've just accelerated some of that. And that sprinkling of people from outside that we've always done, we've perhaps done a little bit more of that."