Milton Keynes Factory

Lore & Background

In February 2021, Red Bull Advanced Technologies signed an exclusive distribution agreement for Formula One engines with Honda to start in the 2022 season, after the Japanese automaker left Formula One at the end of the 2021 season. The engines were to be purchased from Honda and renamed Red Bull Powertrains units, and supplied to its two teams currently competing in Formula One, Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri, starting in 2022. Honda continued to support the Red Bull-owned teams between 2022 until the end of 2025, assembling the power units and providing trackside and race operation support. The power units remained Honda's intellectual property, and due to the F1 engine development freeze in place since September 2022, Red Bull Powertrains did not develop them. On 23 April 2021 Red Bull Powertrains announced the hiring of Ben Hodgkinson as technical director. On 6 May 2021, Red Bull Racing announced the hiring of five more senior Mercedes engine employees. On 2 October 2022, Honda announced an agreement for the 're-strengthening' of their partnership with Red Bull Racing, under which Red Bull Powertrains assumed operational control of the engines while Honda provided technical support and assembly until 2025. On 4 February 2023, Red Bull Racing and the Ford Motor Company announced a strategic partnership that will see Ford return to Formula One in 2026 following new engine regulations.

In Their Own Story

The hum of the wind tunnel acts as the factory's constant heartbeat, a low-frequency vibration that travels through the concrete floors of the old hangar complex. In the design office, the air carries the sharp scent of carbon fiber composites and fresh coffee. A senior engineer studies high-resolution CAD screens displaying the next season's front wing, his eyes tracing the vortex generators that will dictate the car's balance for the coming year. Outside, English rain may lash against the industrial roof, but inside, the environment is strictly controlled. This is where progress happens—not in the glitz of the podium, but in the quiet, intense focus of a room filled with whiteboards covered in equations and physical clay models. Here, a single adjustment to an airflow simulation can change the course of history.

Reader's Guide

The facility is a 5,000-square-foot building near the Red Bull Racing chassis department in Milton Keynes. It houses Red Bull Powertrains, which was formed in 2021. The company initially used re-badged Honda power units (RBPTH001 and RBPTH002) from 2022 to 2025. From 2026, following a partnership with Ford, the company was rebranded to Red Bull Ford Powertrains, and the power unit was named DM01 after the late Red Bull GmbH founder Dietrich Mateschitz.

Did You Know?

• The RBPTH001 was developed, produced, and maintained by Honda despite its name.
• Red Bull Powertrains hired Ben Hodgkinson as technical director on 23 April 2021.
• The DM01 power unit was named after Dietrich Mateschitz, who was heavily involved in setting up RBPT before his death in 2022.
• Ford will provide expertise in battery cell and electric motor technology for the 2026 power units.