Brundle Opens Up About Red Bull Factory Visit: “Horner Already Showed Me That” – Red Bull Racing has been one of the main topics of conversation in the run-up to the first Formula 1 tests ahead of the 2026 season. While many expected teething problems following the team’s bold decision to produce its own power unit, the reality so far has been very different. The Milton Keynes-based team has appeared composed, reliable and surprisingly competitive, a fact that has not gone unnoticed by rivals and pundits.
One person who is impressed, but far from shocked, is Martin Brundle. The former Formula 1 driver and long-standing Sky Sports analyst believes the signs were evident long before the cars hit the track in Barcelona.
A New Era Without Honda
For the first time in its modern history, Red Bull is running a power unit developed in-house. After years of success with Honda, the team has chosen to go its own way for 2026, forming a technical partnership with Ford while taking full responsibility for the design and development of the engine.
Such a move was always going to be scrutinised. Building a competitive Formula 1 power unit from scratch is one of the biggest challenges in the sport, especially under an entirely new set of regulations. Yet early indications suggest that Red Bull Powertrains has hit the ground running.
Red Bull’s sister team, Racing Bulls, also completed a significant number of laps during the Barcelona test with the new DM01 power unit, further underlining the project’s apparent robustness. Even rivals have been forced to take notice, with George Russell among those expressing surprise at how competitive Red Bull has looked so early on.
Brundle not surprised by Red Bull progress
However, Brundle admits that the team’s strong performance did not come as a surprise to him. Speaking on Sky Sports, he revealed that a visit to Red Bull’s facilities in Milton Keynes had already made a big impression on him.
“They’ve done a really great job,” he said. ‘I remember Christian Horner giving me a tour of the power unit factory — I think it was about a year and a half ago. Even then, I thought to myself, ‘This is incredible.’”
According to Brundle, the scale of the operation stood out immediately. The size of the facility, the level of investment, and the project’s sheer ambition suggested that Red Bull was taking nothing lightly.
Facilities, People and Resources
The former Formula 1 driver believes that Red Bull’s success so far is no accident. While the team may be new to developing a F1 power unit independently, they have compensated for this with top-level personnel and state-of-the-art infrastructure.
“It was so big, and there were so many possibilities,” Brundle continued.
“I’m not really surprised, to be honest. Even though they are new to developing a Formula 1 power unit, they have a lot of good people. They also have the resources and the right facilities.”
This combination of expertise, funding and long-term vision is something that Red Bull has become known for across all areas of its Formula 1 operation, and Brundle sees the power unit project as a natural extension of this philosophy.
NEWS – Hadjar dismissive of his rivals concerns
Mercedes and Ferrari Still Setting the Pace
Despite Red Bull’s encouraging start, Brundle cautioned against drawing firm conclusions too early. In his view, Mercedes and Ferrari currently appear to have the upper hand.
“It seems that Mercedes is dominating at the moment,” he said. “They seem really strong at the moment, just like Ferrari.”
However, Brundle also highlighted how power unit partnerships can influence development speed and data gathering, an area where some teams are clearly better placed than others.
The Advantage of Multiple Customer Teams
One of Red Bull’s major strengths is that two teams run its power units. This provides more data, feedback and faster learning.
“Take Aston Martin with Honda, for example,” Brundle explained. ‘They are not having an easy time because they only have one team to work with. The same applies to Audi.”
By contrast, Mercedes supplies four teams, while Red Bull benefits from its close relationship with Racing Bulls.
“They get clarity much faster. That’s a big advantage,” Brundle noted.
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Formula 1’s Relentless Technical Progress
Beyond individual teams, Brundle sees the opening tests as a reflection of how far Formula 1 has evolved technologically.
“This also shows how Formula 1 is developing,” he said. “The facilities are truly incredible these days. They’re now going out on track and driving around, even though the cars are so complex.”
Although he expressed disappointment about the lack of close-up access to the new machinery, Brundle was full of admiration for how efficiently the teams have adapted to the latest regulations.
Verstappen set for first running
Red Bull’s promising start shifts the focus to Max Verstappen, who is scheduled to take to the track in Barcelona on Friday. The reigning champion has so far had to watch from the sidelines, as the team lost valuable running time earlier in the week.
Isack Hadjar crashed the RB22 on Tuesday afternoon, forcing the team to carry out unexpected repairs. With several components needing to be flown in from Milton Keynes, progress was slower than usual.
Nevertheless, expectations remain high. Following impressive early testing, Red Bull now has the chance to demonstrate just how competitive its new era could be with Verstappen at the wheel.
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NEXT ARTICLE – Hamilton experiences scary moment during F1 testing
Lewis Hamilton had a scare on Thursday during Formula 1 testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The seven-time world champion climbed into his new Ferrari SF-26 for the second time this week, continuing to adapt to life at the Scuderia.
However, right at the start of the session, he lost control of the car for a moment, which was captured on video and circulated on X.
Hamilton spins!
During the incident, Hamilton spun his SF-26 on a straight section of the circuit at relatively low speed. The British driver reacted quickly, regaining control of the car almost immediately and managing to keep it on the track.
As there was no contact with the barriers and no damage was reported, the session continued uninterrupted. Ferrari engineers also appeared unconcerned, allowing Hamilton to resume his run without any visible issues.
Although the spin was minor, it served as a reminder that pre-season testing can still be unpredictable, particularly when drivers are pushing the limits of brand-new machinery and learning how it behaves…CONTINUE READING THIS ARTICLE
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