“Silly” to assume Red Bull engine will match Mercedes and Ferrari in F1 2026

Red Bull Formula 1 chief Laurent Mekies admitted that his team’s decision to build its own power units for 2026 is “as crazy as it gets”, but feels this is why it fits Red Bull’s DNA. 

Under Mekies’ predecessor Christian Horner, Red Bull went all-in on its own engine programme for the new regulations, developed and built with help from Ford at Red Bull Powertrains at its Milton Keynes campus. 

As a brand-new F1 engine builder, Red Bull is facing a huge challenge to take on established juggernauts like Mercedes, Ferrari and Honda, with Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff saying the “odds were against” Red Bull and that it had “Mount Everest to climb”. 

When Autosport put those comments to Mekies at the Italian Grand Prix, the Frenchman didn’t disagree with Wolff, but explained that this was why he felt the hyper ambitious programme fit Red Bull’s brand DNA so well. 

“Toto is right by saying that it’s an Everest to climb,” Mekies said. “I think that’s what it is.  

“I think it’s as crazy as it gets to take the decision to do your own power unit as Red Bull. It’s an unbelievable challenge to be associated with. It’s the sort of crazy stuff that Red Bull does, so it’s a good feeling.” 

Horner previously said it would be embarrassing for the likes of Mercedes if Red Bull was beating its power units in 2026, and in less antagonistic fashion Mekies also cautioned that it would be “silly” for Red Bull to think it could be on par from year one. 

“We don’t underestimate that these guys have been doing it for 90 years or something like that, so it would be silly from our side to think we are going to come here and right from the start be at Ferrari’s level or at Mercedes’ level,” he acknowledged. 

“I think 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 and we will see. We are trying to ramp up the power unit and the structures that go around the power unit – the people, the infrastructures – as quickly as possible.”

He added: “We expect for sure a year with a lot of hard work with a lot of sleepless nights to get to the right level, but it’s a challenge that we feel very much being a Red Bull challenge. And we love that.”