The high-profile departures from Red Bull of Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley have dominated recent headlines, but Christian Horner has revealed that his team has quietly amassed a significant pool of talent from arch-rival Mercedes.
According to Horner, over 200 Mercedes staff have the joined the Milton Keynes-based outfit’s Red Bull Powertrains division over the past year.
The sheer magnitude of the hiring spree, as revealed by Horner, is a major coup for the reigning world champions, especially as Mercedes AMP High Performance Powertrains has long been regarded as the benchmark in Formula 1 engine development since the sport’s hybrid era began in 2014.
“We’ve recruited, I think, close to 250 people during the last 12 months, across the project, into powertrains, into the brand new engine shop that we’re building,” Horner told Britain's Channel 4.
“We don’t talk about the over 200 people we brought from Mercedes.
“There’s a lot of focus on the two people that are leaving, because they’re slightly more public facing.”
This massive recruitment drive comes as Red Bull prepares to debut its own power unit in 2026, coinciding with new regulations that will place greater emphasis on electrification and hybrid powertrains.
The regulations will see a 50/50 split in power delivery between internal combustion engines and electric systems, a shift that has prompted Red Bull to rapidly expand its in-house engine development capabilities, while also striking a partnership deal with Ford.
As Horner points out, the departures of Newey and Wheatley – who will join Aston Martin and Audi-Sauber respectively – have understandably captured the spotlight.
But he insists Red Bull has been preparing for Newey’s departure for some time, and the team has built a robust internal structure capable of continuing their success without the legendary designer.
However, despite these major changes, Horner remains confident in Red Bull’s ability to remain competitive, emphasizing that these two departures represent just a small fraction of the team’s overall workforce.
“Well look, starting with Adrian, we had an amazing run with Adrian,” Horner said. “He’s been a big part of everything we’ve done, and we’ll look back with great fondness and pride in everything that we achieved collectively.
“But he’s chosen to take on a new challenge. We knew that was coming. We’ve sort of been gearing up for that.
“Adrian has been on the brink of retiring for 10 years, and so we had to be prepared for that, and I believe we have got strength in depth. He’s chosen to continue elsewhere.
“And of course, Jonathan likewise, a long-term team member. But they’re two higher profile names.
“The reality is that’s just two people out of 2000 people that we have within the group.”
©RedBull
As Red Bull looks ahead to the next era of Formula 1, the influx of experienced personnel from
Mercedes could prove to be one of the most pivotal factors in its future success.
While the team’s big-name departures have grabbed headlines, the real story might be Red Bull's quiet but strategic build-up of its technical resources—an investment that could define the team's performance for years to come.
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