Red Bull boss Laurent Mackis has admitted he expects the team to be “behind” their first rivals at the start of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
For the first time since joining the F1 grid in 2005, Red Bull is producing its own engine – in collaboration with US car giant Ford – to coincide with the introduction of new powertrain and chassis regulations.
Max Verstappen narrowly missed out on a fifth consecutive drivers’ title for the team last year as McLaren’s Lando Norris won the world championship by just two points, but there are major doubts over whether Red Bull will be strong enough to challenge for honors in 2026 as they adjust to running their own power unit.
Speaking with Ski Sports News as a team unveiled their 2026 livery in Detroit on Thursday nightMekies said: “We know it will come with some difficulties. We know there will be a lot of sleepless nights and a few headaches, but please bear with us for the first few months.”
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Red Bull Racing reveals its look for the 2026 F1 season at a launch event in Detroit. Credit: Red Bull Content Pool
“Nobody underestimates the size of the mountain we have to climb. It’s the kind of challenge we all want to be associated with, and hopefully we’ll eventually get to the top.”
“I think it would be naive to say the least to think that, yes, we’ve done everything from scratch – with a lot of support from Ford – and then we turn up at the first race and we’re on the same level as people who have been doing it for many years. It’s not going to be like that, we’re going to follow them.”
Red Bull supplies its engines and the engines of the Racing Bulls junior team. Mercedes builds its own engines, which will also be used by current constructors’ champions McLaren, along with Williams and Alpan. Ferrari also builds its own engines, which will be used by Haas and Cadillac. Audi, which has taken over the Sauber team, makes its own engines, while former Red Bull supplier Honda makes power units for Aston Martin.
Despite his concerns about the early stages of the season, which begins with the Australian Grand Prix on March 8, McKees believes his team can make up significant ground during their campaign.
Red Bull struggled to compete with McLaren during the middle stages of last season, before a major improvement in performance – after Mackies replaced Christian Horner as team principal – saw Verstappen win six of the last nine grands prix.
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Sky Sports’ Craig Slater talks to Ford CEO Jim Farley about the company joining forces with Red Bull for the 2026 F1 season.
Mekies added: “We’re going to be in a season with an incredibly high rate of development, both on the chassis side and on the powertrain side.”
“We believe in our people, and therefore the fact that we have put together what we believe is an extremely strong team with extremely strong partners.”
“You saw last year in the season that, being the last year of the regulation cycle, you could still see how much the team could do through the season in terms of development,” he said.
“We’ll take that for 2026 multiplied by three or four in terms of the rate of development, certainly for us in terms of how much we have to learn. So we’re taking it one step at a time, but with the right level of aggressiveness.”
Verstappen: It won’t be easy
Uncertainty over Red Bull’s ability to be competitive in 2026 has added to doubts over whether Verstappen will stay at the team this year amid speculation linking him to Mercedes.
The Dutchman eventually committed to staying at Red Bull for at least one more season at the end of July, but it now remains to be seen how long he will need – and how willing – he is to be patient.
He asked Ski Sports News whether he expects a car that can compete for wins and titles this year, Verstappen replied: “Time will tell, won’t it?
“I mean, we don’t know. The only thing I know is that everyone is giving everything they have.”
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Sky Sports’ Craig Slater spoke to Max Verstappen at Red Bull’s season launch to discuss his goals for the season and the new Ford powertrain
“We’re trying to move forward, we’re really trying to maximize everything, but it’s not going to be easy, we know that.”
For the first time in his Formula 1 career, Verstappen begins the season without the guidance of Dr Helmut Mark, who was fired at the end of 2025 having worked as Red Bull’s motorsport adviser since the team joined the team in 2005.
The departure of Marc, who was extremely close to Verstappen and his camp, follows Horner’s dismissal in July – leaving a new sense of leadership for the team in 2026.
Reflecting on Marc’s departure, Verstappen said: “We had a very emotional conversation after Abu Dhabi. It will be a bit different.
“All good things come to an end at some point. We’ll see each other anyway. If I go to Graz, we’ll have lunch together! We’ve achieved so many great things together, we’ll always remember that.”
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