Ben Hodgkinson will make his long-awaited switch to Red Bull Powertrains on 24 May after an agreement was reached between Red Bull and the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team surrounding his release from his contract with the German marque.
Red Bull Powertrains have taken over the running of the Honda power units in 2022 after the Japanese manufacturer withdrew from Formula 1 at the end of 2021, and they started a recruitment programme that included Hodgkinson, who comes in as the new technical director.
He is just one of what is expected to be several hundred new recruits as Red Bull adapt to life as a power unit supplier for the first time, while they will also be helped by Honda engineers, who will stay with them to ensure a smooth handover.
Initially it was unclear to when Mercedes would allow Hodgkinson to join their rivals, but after talks between the two teams during the off-season, a date of 24 May has been agreed for him to start his role with Red Bull Powertrains.
“Mercedes F1 and Red Bull F1 today reached an agreement regarding the appointment of Ben Hodgkinson,” said a statement that was released by both Red Bull and Mercedes.
“Under the terms of that agreement, Ben, who joined Mercedes in August 2001, will be free to join Red Bull Powertrains from 24 May 2022.”