Formula 1: Christian Horner has spoken up after Red Bull got a hold of Lewis Hamilton’s former engineer Phil Prew from Mercedes. The Austrian group have been in outstanding form on the track this season and are leading the Constructors’ Championship by 97 points, with Max Verstappen securing the top of the Drivers’ Championship standings. Follow Formula 1 updates on InsideSport.IN
Red Bull have been outstanding with their recent recruitments as Horner believes it is a ‘statement of intent’ with the arrival of Prew. “I’m delighted that Phil is going to be joining the team and he has a phenomenal track record. He has been a key component of Mercedes’ recent success; again, it is another statement of intent of where we want to be with the power unit,” Horner said.
“I think we have assembled great strength and depth within the business and it’s fantastic to see it really coming together and coming to life. Phil’s one of a few key signings recently that add to the very talented group of people that we have already assembled,” Horner added.
Prew previously have worked at McLaren for a very long time and was the student of Red Bull’s current chief technician Adrian Newey prior to turning into a race engineer.
Furthermore, during his experience with the Woking-based group, he worked with the likes of David Coulthard, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Lewis Hamilton. He directed Hamilton to his first F1 world title in 2008, before moving to Mercedes to connect up with the Brit again in 2016.
Meanwhile, when Prew’s arrival was announced, Horner revealed that he had a word about bringing him in with Newey. “Adrian has known Phil from years ago, so obviously I consulted his opinion,” Horner further added.
Prew is set to play a vital role in Red Bull’s work on their future power units. The team presently have an arrangement with Honda to make engines till the 2025 season. When the arrangement terminates, Red Bull engines will be outsourced once again.
However, Porsche will likely take over as. Volkswagen have given the luxury brand a green light to enter F1. Furthermore, Prew’s skill will be expected to guarantee Red Bull get the item they are searching for.
Lastly, after the Hungarian GP got concluded, Horner felt the team is in good spirits on and off the track. “I think that things are really taking shape. You can see in Milton Keynes we’ve gone from being a few units on an industrial estate to being a technology campus. The investment by the group has been significant. The first engine is due to fire up shortly. It’s been a steep learning curve but we’ve recruited some phenomenal talent,” Horner concluded.
