Red Bull Ford Powertrains completes successful first shakedown with new DM01 engine
Red Bull Ford Powertrains successfully completed its first serious test in Barcelona, with Isack Hadjar topping the timesheets. Both teams focused on reliability, racking up significant mileage with the new DM01 power unit.
The Red Bull Ford Powertrains partnership passed its first major hurdle in Barcelona, completing a productive shakedown of the new DM01 power unit. Isack Hadjar set the fastest time of the day for Red Bull, while Liam Lawson managed 88 laps for Racing Bulls despite a brief red flag stoppage.
Why it matters:
This marks a critical milestone for Red Bull as it transitions to becoming a full works team with Ford. With the 2026 regulations overhaul, establishing a solid reliability baseline for the in-house engine—named the DM01 in tribute to Dietrich Mateschitz—is essential before chasing raw performance.
The details:
- Mileage focus: Hadjar completed 107 laps with a best time of 1m18.159s, while Lawson logged 88 laps. Both drivers reported the power unit felt solid and drivable.
- Lawson’s stoppage: The red flag caused by Lawson was described as "mainly precautionary," triggered by safety settings during a practice start rather than a mechanical failure.
- Collaboration: Racing Bulls chief race engineer Mattia Spini highlighted the strong relationship between the two teams, noting that engineers at Red Bull Powertrains and the trackside crew are working almost as a single unit to fine-tune the system.
- Driver feedback: Hadjar noted the upshifts and downshifts were decent, feeling close to what he is used to, though fine-tuning is still required.
What's next:
The teams will continue to prioritize mileage accumulation over the remaining two days in Barcelona before shifting focus to performance during the upcoming winter tests in Bahrain. Engineers plan to fine-tune the power unit settings and build driver confidence ahead of the season opener in Melbourne.