The Siemens Xcelerator industrial software portfolio is being used in the development of Formula 1 racing power units, opening new horizons in the overall component design of powertrain development in the racing field, where existing data is scarce.

Siemens Digital Industries Software announced on the 21st that Red Bull Ford Powertrain has adopted the Siemens Xcelerator industrial software portfolio to develop a next-generation hybrid ICE/electric drive power unit (PU) for the 2026 Formula 1 racing season.

Red Bull Ford Powertrains is set to manufacture power units for the Oracle Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Alpha Tauri F1 teams for the 2026 season. There are only six manufacturers, including Red Bull, that supply power units to the F1 series.

Since announcing its plans in 2021, Red Bull has set an ambitious goal to develop a sustainable high-speed power unit for 2026 specifications while meeting the new F1 specifications. Like any other startup, they are opening new horizons in the overall design of components within the powertrain development field, where existing data is scarce.

Ben Hodgkinson, Technical Director at Red Bull Powertrain, said, “Siemens Xcelerator is the digital backbone of the design and manufacturing process, enabling the simultaneous engineering of hundreds of rapid design innovations across large, newly formed teams. In addition, it allows designers to gain visibility and knowledge to understand their colleagues’ work.”

He added, “There are particularly many challenges due to the lack of existing data in the field of powertrain development. Every component, down to the engine’s nuts and bolts, must be modeled from scratch. This means that the design quality and ease of use of Siemens NX, combined with collaboration and lifecycle management through Teamcenter, are critical factors for success.”

In addition to Siemens NX™ software for product engineering and Teamcenter® software for product lifecycle management (PLM), the Red Bull Ford Powertrain Team utilizes the simulation and testing capabilities of Siemens Simcenter™ STAR-CCM+™ software to support design and verification throughout the project.

Robert Jones, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Sales and Customer Success at Siemens Digital Industries Software, stated, “The motorsports industry is actively pursuing a cleaner and more sustainable future that requires teams and suppliers to fundamentally reinvent the way they approach every aspect of development activities.” “By leveraging the benefits of digital innovation provided by Siemens Xcelerator, we have been able to discover, develop, and deliver new clean solutions on the track where tires meet the road within a timeframe that our motorsports partners once thought impossible,” he said. “We are pleased to support the Red Bull Ford Powertrain Team in realizing greater sustainability in motorsports. Furthermore, we are proud to have achieved our goals for the 2026 racing season by meeting requirements such as delivering performance without fossil fuels or carbon, and increasing power usage and energy recovery utilization.”