Peter Windsor says Red Bull have made a brilliant signing this year that ‘nobody is talking about’

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Formula 1 is set to undergo a massive change for the 2026 season when the engine regulations will be changed for the first time since 2014.

As part of the changes, Red Bull is set to become a power unit manufacturer in partnership with American car giant Ford.

The Milton Keynes-based squad went on a massive recruitment drive to ramp up its Red Bull Powertrains division and as part of its ambitious undertaking, it has made some key signings from rival teams.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner reportedly insinuated that many of the people working on its engine had come from Mercedes at a recent private factory tour, although some in the F1 paddock are questioning whether it will be competitive.

Speaking on the Cameron F1 podcast, Peter Windsor believes the team made a key signing when poaching employees from rival teams that will be key to their competitiveness.

Peter Winsdor names key Red Bull powertrains signing

It emerged in 2022 that F1 stalwart Phil Prew had made the switch from Mercedes to join Red Bull and take up a senior role within its powertrains project.

Windsor believes he will be just as important as another senior Mercedes figure, who was also responsible for their years of success during the start of the hybrid era.

“I think they have one of the best guys outside of Andy Cowell in powertrains and that’s Phil Prew. We don’t talk about that and what a great hire that is,” said Windsor.

“I personally think that is a strong team led by Phil and I think Ford will do a good job in terms of being a partner at the right level and producing the right balance to where they want to do with the Power Unit.”

F1 stalwart was a former engineer to Lewis Hamilton

Prew has been in F1 for over 30 years having first joined McLaren, where he was originally a vehicle dynamics engineer in 1997 before rising through the ranks to become a race engineer, then chief engineer from 2013.

He famously worked alongside Lewis Hamilton while he was at McLaren, being in the role when the Briton took his first F1 World Championship in 2008.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links

Prew later worked at Mercedes High-Performance Powertrains as a Chief Engineer, before taking up his role at Red Bull following a period of gardening leave.

Marc Priestly shared that he was told nobody has ‘too much confidence’ in the engine project, although Horner did reveal that Red Bull was approached by other teams to supply them with a power unit before deciding on only providing them in-house at the main team and Visa CashApp RB.