Red Bull says it is ahead of schedule for 2026 engines

Formula One champions Red Bull are finding potential problems with the sport’s 2026 engine because they are ahead of schedule in building their own, according to team boss Christian Horner.

The Briton and two-time world champion Max Verstappen have both expressed concerns about the capabilities of the new power unit, prompting speculation that they may be behind development.

The new unit features a 50-50 combustion engine/electric ratio, and Horner has warned that the fastest way to get around a lap is for drivers to downshift on the straights to charge the batteries.

Red Bull, which partners with Ford from 2026 after splitting from Honda, has recruited engine experts from rivals Mercedes and elsewhere and built a powertrain factory as part of an expanding 50-acre “campus” in Milton Keynes.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff asked in Austria last weekend what Horner’s “real motivation” could be for criticizing the 2026 rules, suggesting his rival was “fearful” of not being able to compete.

“I think we’re in good shape actually. We’ve got two-and-a-half years to go,” Horner told selected reporters during a factory visit ahead of this weekend’s British GP, referring to the “intimidation”.

“I’m not sure how close Toto is to its motor business,” he added.

“When you start to see the program really come to life and the simulations get stronger, [you see] some limitations. Which are inevitable.

“So I would say it’s maybe because we’re maybe very advanced that we’re actually seeing some limitations,” he added.

Horner felt it wasn’t too late to adjust the specs, and it wouldn’t take much.

“Whether you do it by fuel flow or cell mass, you just have to change that ratio a little bit to make sure we get a great race,” added Formula 1’s longest-serving team boss.

Verstappen said in Austria that the simulator data “looks pretty terrible”.

“If you go flat on the straight at Monza… like 400 or 500 (metres) before the end of the straight, you have to downshift because it’s faster. I don’t think that’s the way forward,” added. Dutch driver.

“We need to take a serious look at this because I mean 2026 is not that far off. And right now it looks very bad to me from all the numbers and what I’m seeing from the data already.”

At Silverstone on Thursday, Verstappen returned to the subject and echoed Horner in saying that Red Bull was ahead of schedule.

He suggested that other drivers may not yet be aware of the problem.

“I’m just not sure how many people are really aware of what it looks like,” he said.

Red Bull is also planning a new wind tunnel next to the factory, and Horner said the Red Bull engines will have the prefix DM to ensure the team’s late founder Dietrich Mateschitz remains at the heart of the car.