Red Bull Admits They're Not the Fastest, Despite a 'Remarkable' New Engine!
It's a bold statement from Red Bull's Technical Director, Pierre Wache, as the team heads into the 2026 Formula 1 season. Despite the impressive debut of their all-new, in-house designed power unit, Red Bull is currently estimating they are the fourth-fastest team on the grid, trailing behind Mercedes, McLaren, and Ferrari after the initial pre-season testing in Bahrain. This is quite a revelation, especially considering the team has designed both their car and engine from scratch for the first time in F1's new regulatory era.
Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar have both been vocal about the new powertrain's strong performance and reliability, which is a huge positive. Reflecting on the team's first three days of running in the Sakhir desert, Wache described the week as positive, with significant track time dedicated to understanding the car and the direction for the power unit. He mentioned a minor hiccup with hydraulics on the chassis side on day two, which briefly impacted Isack's running, but it was successfully resolved in the afternoon.
"We need to make sure the car continues to develop a lot more to improve the issue on the balance side, and we know that there is a lot of room for improvement," Wache stated. "Our drivers are very motivated and have given us a lot of feedback on where we can improve the car and how we can change the direction of development."
But here's where it gets controversial... Wache also highlighted the incredible achievement of the Red Bull Ford Powertrains division, calling their work "remarkable" for creating a power unit and getting it on track within just three-and-a-half years. This is a massive undertaking for a new entity!
When discussing the early 2026 pecking order, Wache candidly placed Red Bull in fourth. "The second step is to see where we are sitting compared to others and improve," he explained. "There were a few teams which were clearly very quick [on Friday] and it looks like we are behind, so there is still a lot to improve. Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari are there at the top." He emphasized that it's a massive learning curve with many unknowns, and the team is laser-focused on identifying weaknesses and strengths to improve the car. They are heading into the next test looking to bring upgrades and solve identified issues.
And this is the part most people miss... While Red Bull is acknowledging they aren't leading the pack yet, their focus on internal development and their ability to quickly bring a new power unit online suggests they might be playing a longer game. Is it possible that Red Bull is intentionally downplaying their current performance to surprise rivals later in the season? What are your thoughts on this early season assessment? Do you agree with Wache's ranking, or do you think Red Bull will surprise us all? Let us know in the comments below!
