Verstappen acknowledges 'work to do' on Red Bull's 2026 F1 power unit after first shakedown

Max Verstappen has tempered expectations for Red Bull's new in-house power unit project, stating "there's still quite a bit of work to do" following the team's first shakedown test for the 2026 Formula 1 season. The comments come after a private five-day test in Barcelona where all 11 teams began running their new-spec cars ahead of major technical regulation changes.

Why it matters:

Red Bull's transition to becoming its own power unit manufacturer with Ford backing is one of the biggest technical gambles in modern F1. Success or failure will define the team's competitive future beyond the current regulatory era and determine if they can maintain their championship-winning form with a completely new engine architecture.

The details:

• The Barcelona test was primarily for mileage and system checks, not outright performance, with teams limited to three days of running each.
• Verstappen's running was limited, with rookie Isack Hadjar taking the car on Monday and a crash further reducing track time. The Dutch champion completed a reported 118 laps on the final day.
• In contrast, Mercedes emerged from the test with notable confidence, completing the most laps and even running a full race simulation with junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
• George Russell, who set the second-fastest time of the week behind Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, noted that some competitors' power units showed "impressive" performance, surprising many who expected new suppliers to struggle initially.

What's next:

The shakedown offers only preliminary data, with the real development race now intensifying. Teams will analyze this initial running to refine their 2026 packages ahead of further testing. For Red Bull, the pressure is on to resolve the inherent complexities of their new power unit quickly to avoid starting the new era on the back foot, while Mercedes will look to translate its strong early reliability into a performance advantage.