(Motorsport-Total.com) – Max Verstappen does not believe that Red Bull will be capable of winning at the 2026 Formula 1 season opener in Melbourne, although he emphasizes that he is leaving the Bahrain tests with a “positive feeling.”
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At Red Bull, there was praise especially for the new engine, which according to Mercedes Motorsport boss Toto Wolff is even said to be the benchmark – although many sides also claim this for the Mercedes powertrain. The drive at Red Bull was reliable and also at a good level in terms of performance.
“I find it quite remarkable that with such a new engine and with so many new people involved, we actually had everything well under control,” Verstappen summarizes to Viaplay, expressing that he is “very satisfied” that the new drive has had “very few problems” so far.
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The engine had previously been identified as Red Bull’s major weak point, as Red Bull, unlike other manufacturers, has no experience in the engine sector.
Mekies: “Nothing but a field”
“On the site where our power unit was designed and built, there was nothing but a field just over three years ago,” says team principal Laurent Mekies in an interview with Motorsport.com Italy.
“We did not take over an existing structure. Everything started from scratch, with no fewer than 700 people identified and hired. The headquarters was set up, and the entire group had to grow together and learn to work together,” he describes the obstacles in building their own engine division.
Although they were able to learn alongside Honda in recent years, received support from the large Ford corporation in building the new power unit, and diligently bought know-how from other manufacturers, external expectations for the new power unit were not particularly high.
“They probably thought we would show up and the engine would just blow up immediately,” Verstappen laughs. “In that respect, we simply did a great job and have things well under control. We can definitely be proud of that,” the Dutchman emphasizes.
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First outing “historic moment”
When the Red Bull RB22 drove out of the garage with its own engine on the first shakedown day in Barcelona, it was “a historic moment” for Mekies, as he says. “This group deserves full credit for what is truly an extraordinary achievement. I can testify that everyone slept very little and sacrificed many weekends.”
The team principal felt the emotions in the garage, but he also emphasizes that a second later they were already focused on the feedback and the path ahead of them.
Because: “We are all aware that – even with an extraordinary starting point – we are dealing with giants of motorsport with immense experience. We have climbed the first mountain, but there is another one ahead of us. We are here to fight, currently still a bit behind the other three top teams, but ready to give everything to catch up.”
Verstappen: Heading for the top with ambition
Where Red Bull will slot in at the start of the season is the big question. During the tests in Bahrain, Red Bull was always at the front, but they could not (or did not want to?) shine with top times like Mercedes and Ferrari.
“When you look at the performance, I do think we still need to take a step to really fight at the very front,” says Verstappen. “Because at the moment, I don’t believe we will be competing for the win.”
But the four-time world champion emphasizes that one must remain realistic: “I think it was not our expectation that we would immediately be in this position with the introduction of these regulations and with our own engine.”
He says that they can be proud of the performance shown so far, “but as winners – like myself and the team – we always want to do better. And that is the mentality,” he clarifies. “We are very realistic that it won’t be easy. On the other hand, we certainly have the ambition to take these steps forward.”
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