‘Crazy’ new Red Bull engine clue emerges after ’embarrassing’ Christian Horner claim
Laurent Mekies, the Red Bull team principal, has acknowledged it would be “silly” to expect its new engine to be at the same level as Ferrari and Mercedes in F1 2026.
It comes just weeks after his predecessor Christian Horner admitted that it would be “embarrassing” for the current manufacturers if Red Bull produces a better engine at the first time of asking.
Red Bull has ‘a mountain to climb’ with F1 2026 engineRed Bull will produce its own engines for the first time next year via its newly established Powertrains division, which will work in collaboration with US giant Ford as current engine supplier Honda enters a new partnership with Aston Martin.
In an exclusive interview with PlanetF1.com earlier this year, Horner described the team’s in-house engine program as “by far the biggest challenge” Red Bull has ever faced in F1 since it arrived on the grid in 2005.
Horner was sacked by Red Bull after more than 20 years in charge of Red Bull in the aftermath of July’s British Grand Prix, with Mekies installed as his successor as chief executive and team principal.
Analysis: Italian Grand Prix👉 The eye-opening data behind Max Verstappen’s dominant Italian GP win
Appearing in a press conference at Silverstone just days before his departure was announced, Horner conceded that it would be “embarrassing” for the long-established manufacturers like Mercedes if RBPT-Ford has a more powerful engine in F1 2026.
Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team boss, recently echoed Horner’s comments, likening the challenge facing Red Bull to climbing Mount Everest.
Speaking at last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, Mekies conceded that Red Bull’s move to produce its own power unit is “as crazy as it gets” in F1.
And he admitted that it “would be silly” to expect to be on the same level as the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari from the start of F1 2026.
Asked to respond to Wolff’s comments, Mekies told PlanetF1.com’s Thomas Maher and other publications at Monza: “I think Toto is right by saying it’s an Everest to climb. That’s what it is.
“It’s as crazy as it gets to take the decision to do your own power unit, as Red Bull has done. It’s an unbelievable challenge to be associated with.
“It’s the sort of crazy stuff Red Bull does, so it’s a good feeling, but we don’t underestimate how crazy it is.
“These guys have been doing it for 90 years or something like that, so it would be silly from our side to think we’re going to come here and, right from the start, be at Ferrari’s or Mercedes’ level.
“That would be silly.
“But it’s being set up the Red Bull way – at the maximum possible level. We take it step by step.
“We are trying to ramp up as quickly as possible – both the PU and the structure that goes around the PU: the people, the infrastructure.
“Then, as I said, we expect a year with a lot of hard work, a lot of sleepless nights next year to try to get to the right level.
“But it’s a challenge that very much feels like a Red Bull challenge and we love that.
“We’re not going to put a number on where we think we’ll be – because I don’t think anybody has a number – but we know we’re starting with a mountain to climb, as Toto said.”
More on Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls from PlanetF1.comMercedes’ preparations for the new F1 2026 rules – which will see the sport embrace 50 per cent electrification, fully sustainable fuels and active aerodynamics, are widely believed to be advanced.
The Brackley-based outfit previously emerged as F1’s dominant force after the last major engine rule changes in 2014, winning a record eight consecutive Constructors’ titles and seven Drivers’ championships split between Lewis Hamilton (2014-15 and 2017-20) and Nico Rosberg (2016).
A report in April claimed that all but one of the F1 2026 engine manufacturers – Red Bull-Ford, Mercedes, Ferrari, Honda and newcomer Audi – is encountering serious trouble with the development of their new engines for F1 2026.
It was said that one unnamed manufacturer is struggling with an uncompetitive engine having settled on a different form of biofuel compared to its rivals, which have all opted for synthetic fuel.
Two others are thought to be ‘a long way behind’ the clear pace setters with little known about the progress of the fifth engine maker.
Read next: The truth behind a pit crew member’s pay, travel and working week
planetf1.com
