Red Bull Ford Powertrains technical director Ben Hodgkinson has admitted the Milton Keynes-based squad's deficit to F1's leading teams remains "significant", despite Max Verstappen delivering the operation's first podium as a power unit manufacturer at the Canadian Grand Prix.
The Dutchman finished third at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, 11.2 seconds behind race winner Kimi Antonelli and just half a second adrift of Lewis Hamilton, securing a landmark result for a power unit programme built from scratch over the past five years.
"Formula 1 is all about winning, but this first podium finish powered by our own power unit is definitely something worth celebrating, in recognition of the scale of what's been achieved in such a short space of time," Hodgkinson said.
"Red Bull Ford Powertrains is a newcomer, competing against some of the biggest names in the automotive industry and in motorsport. Going head-to-head with them at the front of the field is something the entire team can be proud of."
It was a notable step for Red Bull Ford after a challenging start to life as a manufacturer, with early-season reliability failures in Australia and China contributing to a difficult opening phase of the campaign.
The RB22 has also proved demanding for Verstappen and team-mate Isack Hadjar, leaving Red Bull fourth in the constructors' standings on 57 points, 162 behind leaders Mercedes after five rounds.
Despite those reliability concerns, the Red Bull Ford power unit has impressed since pre-season testing and into the 2026 campaign.
Its performance ceiling has been viewed as encouraging for a new manufacturer, particularly given the scale of the challenge posed by established rivals Mercedes HPP and Ferrari.
The upcoming ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities) programme will offer engine development scope, but Red Bull Ford may not gain any advantage at all against the expected benchmark Mercedes HPP, given how well the fledgling project has done.
Ferrari, Audi and Honda, meanwhile, are anticipated to benefit from the new-for-2026 FIA mandate, devised to protect against the kind of power unit dominance seen when the rules last changed in 2014.
But with Red Bull still chasing its first victory of the new era, Hodgkinson acknowledged that there is still hard work ahead.
"There's still a long way to go, and we know the gap to the front-runners is significant, but we're learning fast, building capability, and pushing in the right areas," he added.
"We're excited for the next few races as we continue that progression and chase our first win in this new era of Formula 1, where new teams and manufacturers have chosen to compete and develop within the sport."
Originally published by RacingNews365 —
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