Red Bull calls for patience for the 2026 season in the face of the "scale of the engine challenge"

At the dawn of the " biggest regulatory change in the history of the F1 » Red Bull undertook the " crazy challenge to design its own power units. Following the end of its collaboration with its former engine supplier Honda, the energy drink brand has partnered with Ford to develop an entirely new engine. This power unit, branded Red Bull Powertrains Ford, will therefore power the Red Bull and Racing Bulls single-seaters until at least 2030.

The first engine resulting from this partnership, the DM01, was named in homage to Dietrich Mateschitz, founder of the Austrian group, who passed away in 2022. It's his vision, his audacity, the Red Bull spirit. It's thanks to him that we are all here today. Laurent Mekies points out. He made the incredible decision at the time to embark on this path of total independence with the chassis and engine. He wasn't intimidated by the scale of the challenge, and today we have the opportunity to pay tribute to him and, hopefully, make him proud. »

Ford's return to Formula 1

After more than two decades of absence, the Blue Oval is thus marking its return to the big leagues. The two partners will nevertheless have to contend with competitors boasting a long history of expertise – with the notable exception of Audi, which has embarked on a similar approach. After everything we've said about the scale of the challenge, starting from scratch and building everything, I think arriving at the first race thinking you'll immediately be on par with the competition – who have been doing this for years – would be naive. Laurent Mekies declared to F1 during the presentation of the 2026 liveries.

He adds : " We're not naive. This is going to cause us a lot of difficulties, headaches, and sleepless nights, but that's precisely why we're here. We're confident, having assembled an incredible group of people, an extraordinary group of partners, and we will overcome these challenges. "To meet this challenge, Red Bull Powertrains has invested in substantial human capital. Former engineer at Mercedes BenzBen Hodgkinson notably holds the position of technical director. The Briton can draw on his experience gained with the German engine manufacturer, whose turbo hybrid power units have been the benchmark in Formula 1 for over a decade.

Despite these efforts, the gap with the competition could initially be considerable. We will eventually prevail.. Please be patient with us during the first few months. Mekies asks. These initial difficulties will remind us how many trials we had to overcome to finally reach the top.This challenge, Max Verstappen knows the extent of it. We are trying to make progress, we are really trying to maximize everything, but it won't be easy, we know that. " he admitted to the British media outlet Sky Sports in mid-January.

Slowly but surely

Despite the Herculean task facing the team, Laurent Mekies displays measured confidence. Last year, during the final season of a regulatory cycle, you saw how much the team could still progress during the season in terms of development. The Frenchman reminded the British media outlet Sky Sports. We're going to apply this to 2026 by tripling or quadrupling the pace of development, especially for us in terms of everything we have to learn. We're taking it step by step, but with the right level of aggression. »

The pilots are also highly motivated, despite the anticipated difficulties. Everything is still a bit unknown. Of course, it's a very big change with the engine, and the car's dimensions have changed somewhat. For us drivers, it will take some time to adapt, and that's why it's very important that we complete our laps during the test days and optimize everything as best we can. explains the four-time world champion. Motivation is very high, everyone is ready. I'm very excited to start this new chapter. »

This new chapter will begin during the first tests of the 2026 season, scheduled to take place behind closed doors at the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit. Two further three-day sessions will follow in Bahrain, where the first real roars of the Red Bull Powertrains–Ford engine can be heard and evaluated in real-world conditions.

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