Last Updated on April 28 2026, 1:27 pm
The opening rounds for the Red Bull racing team have not exactly gone to plan. At this juncture in the schedule, the team sits in its lowest position in the constructors’ championship for over two decades. Max Verstappen is in P9, directly behind Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Haas’s Oli Bearman, having scored a meagre 12 points from four races.
Yet the biggest concern for the team coming into 2026—building their own F1 power unit—is, surprisingly for many, not the culprit. During pre-season testing, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff expressed surprise at the Red Bull Powertrain (RBPT), claiming it was nearly one second quicker in a straight line than the rest of the field.
Further, most new F1 engine manufacturers suffer significant reliability issues, although doubts over this have clearly been dispelled in Milton Keynes. One of the biggest problems for the team has been the weight of the car, which some suggest is 10–20kg overweight. Yet TJ13 sources in Milton Keynes now claim the team has done much to alleviate the excess weight during the five-week break following the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Grands Prix.
McLaren boss believes Red Bull F1 engine “very strong”
McLaren CEO Zak Brown described the RBPT as “very strong,” although the team has struggled with significant “energy drainage” when lining up for the start of a race. This is believed to have also been resolved during the break, and Red Bull are bullish about their chances in Miami.
While the other F1 drivers have been improving their golf handicaps and taking some sun and sea air, Max Verstappen has been sharpening his mind racing in the GT3 series. Speaking on the RacingNews365 podcast, Dutch racing driver Tom Coronel believes this will give the four-time champion an advantage.
“Red Bull, one hundred per cent. Max was able to continue driving well, so he is still sharp. The rest [of their drivers] have taken on some rust,” he suggests. “And we know that many changes have been made to the RB22, including weight reduction. So Red Bull are just the big surprise.”
While the title race is all but over for Red Bull this season, a recovery to their place in the top three is a reasonable target over the coming few race weekends. Yet ahead looms the initiation of the FIA’s ‘catch-up’ programme, designed to helpthose engine manufacturers who have fallen behind.
Red Bull expect to be eligible for FIA engine “catch up”
F1’s governing body insisted this scheme be introduced for 2026 to prevent the complete dominance of one engine manufacturer, as happened in 2014. Despite paddock talk that Red Bull indeed has the strongest power unit, team boss Laurent Mekies denies this and expects to be part of the FIA Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO). This allows engines trailing that of the leading manufacturer by more than 2% more time and money to develop their product.
The initial opening of this window of opportunity was scheduled for after round six of the 2026 season, which was Miami before the cancellation of the two races in the Middle East. The FIA is yet to confirm whether this timeline will stand or be adjusted to after the new sixth round, which takes place in Monaco.
Speaking to Sky Sports today, Mekies reveals his expectations when the FIA takes the power output measurements which will decide which manufacturers are eligible for the ADUO. “Is it [Red Bull’s engine] at the level of the very best? Absolutely not. Hence, do we expect to be in that group of people able to be given the possibility to catch up? Yes, we certainly hope to be in that category.”
Mercedes’ boss believes only Honda should be allowed engine upgrades
Unsure of how the catch-up programme will affect his team, Toto Wolff recently called upon the FIA to ensure the catch-up programme does not allow manufacturers to jump ahead of rivals rather than merely catch up. “I think Toto is right,” says Mekies. “The tool is here to catch up, not to leapfrog anyone. So I’m completely with him on that one.”
Wolff believes only Honda is in need of the ADUO and claimed that Red Bull, Ferrari, and Audi are in a similar “ballpark” to Mercedes. Yet Mekies argues that Mercedes’ advantage over Red Bull is around 3/10ths of a second per lap, most of which is due to their better-performing internal combustion engine.
“What we see is certainly Mercedes, a long way ahead of most of us. And yes, you’re right, one guy [Honda] particularly behind. The other guys are probably quite close to us, Ferrari and Audi, and fair enough, Honda is probably struggling a bit more. To extract the right combustion-engine performance in a fair way across the teams is very difficult. I think overall results are probably giving you the best, the most fair picture, of where everybody is at,” suggested the Red Bull boss.
Verstappen going nowhere says Mekies
With Red Bull buried in the midfield this season, there’s been significant paddock chatter suggesting Max Verstappen will be leaving his Red Bull home next season. Yet Mekies is defiant: “The Max we see is a fully committed Max. He wants a fast car and he’s helping the team to get a fast car. He’s bringing all his energy to that.”
“He’s passionate about the sport. As you said, he raised his voice when he felt things needed to be done. We have a step forward for the regulations coming for Miami. He’s embracing that. Will it be enough? We have time to see together if it’s going to be enough or not,” adds the Red Bull boss. He surprisingly claimed the RB22’s lack of a competitive edge hasnothing to do with the new regulations, but just because the car design has been somewhat lacking.
“We need to give him a car he can consistently push with,” says Mekies. “Then after, it doesn’t mean that it will be fast enough for positions, but it means he can start to bring his ‘Max effect’ and we can start to build development onto that car. And I have every confidence that things may not be fixed for Miami, but that the team is going to get to the bottom of what is limiting us in the same way that they have done last year, and that you will see more and more smiles on Max’s face.”
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With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13 and a career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media. Having trained in investigative journalism and contributed to several European sports outlets, Hunt brings rigour and polish to every article. His role is to sharpen analysis, check facts and ensure TJ13’s daily output meets the highest editorial standards.
