Hodgkinson credits calibration for Red Bull’s engine gains

Red Bull’s own power unit is performing closer to its maximum output as the team improves its calibration, engine technical director Ben Hodgkinson says. The FIA designated Red Bull’s combustion system a benchmark, so the team cannot make updates under the ADUO programme.

Before the season, Red Bull was not satisfied with the engine’s performance at the point it planned to freeze the specification, Hodgkinson said. The team chose to continue development, leaving less time for durability testing and calibration work. It began the season with immature calibrations, which improved race by race, he said.

Learning between the Azerbaijan and Malaysian Grands Prix helped bring the engine closer to its maximum power, Hodgkinson said. He said it can still sometimes underperform against what Red Bull knows it can deliver; the goal is to keep it near the top of its range every lap.

Hodgkinson said the 2026 engine regulations have brought much closer cooperation between the chassis and power-unit teams. Their work includes balancing energy, deciding where it can be recovered and how it is deployed, and accounting for its interaction with the drivers. He described a victory as proof that Red Bull has come together as one team.