Engine Unknowns and Testing Reality: Can Red Bull-Ford Deliver in 2026?

As Red Bull prepares to enter the 2026 Formula 1 season with a power unit it builds in-house in partnership with Ford, voices from both inside and outside the team are tempering expectations. Ford’s global motorsport director Mark Rushbrook has publicly downplayed the idea that Red Bull has found a magic formula in the power unit regulations, stressing that any perceived edge — such as rumors about exploiting compression limits — is insufficient by itself to guarantee success. He pointed to the sheer number of components that must work together — aero, combustion and electric systems, reliability, calibration and more — for a competitive package to emerge.

The American marque’s role has expanded beyond its initial focus on electrification to include meaningful contributions to combustion engine components and calibration work, although it remains based in Milton Keynes under Red Bull Powertrains. Rushbrook acknowledged the scale of the challenge as Red Bull transitions away from Honda and tackles F1’s most radical power unit shift in years — where hybrid systems and sustainable fuels take on greater importance.

Meanwhile, four-time world champion Max Verstappen has spoken candidly about his own uncertainty heading into the first on-track outings of 2026. With winter testing in Barcelona looming, Verstappen admitted neither he nor the team truly knows what to expect from the new car and engine combination. He even suggested Red Bull may spend more time in the garage than on the circuit early on, using the initial tests primarily to understand the fundamentals of the package.

That realism underlines the wider question facing Red Bull: even with Ford’s backing and Verstappen at the wheel, performance in 2026 won’t be a given. The partnership is ambitious, but as both team leadership and its lead driver indicate, the first few tests will be a crucial reality check on whether the theoretical promise can translate into on-track performance.