Marko hopes Porsche, Audi cooperation ’possible’

Red Bull is looking to sign up even more members of Mercedes’ dominant F1 engine operation, according to the Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport.

The claims come after the energy drink owned team announced that it has poached current and long-time Mercedes engineer Ben Hodgkinson to be technical director of the newly-formed Red Bull Powertrains company.

It is believed he will not be released from his Mercedes ’gardening leave’ until the end of 2022, by which time Red Bull will already be up and running with its own engine program based on the current Honda power unit.

But Red Bull official Dr Helmut Marko says the bigger goal is a new engine for the all-new technical regulations of 2025.

"Our plan is to build the engine ourselves for 2025," he is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport.

When asked if Porsche or Audi entering Formula 1 might change that approach, the Austrian added: "In that case we would have to see if a cooperation is possible."

Marko said construction of the new engine facility at Milton Keynes is "in full swing".