Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko played down the idea that Mercedes will best interpret the new F1 2026 engine regulations.
Stressing that “nothing has proven” Mercedes will be the benchmark, Marko provided an update on Red Bull’s progress with their first Formula 1 engine, and the point when focus will turn from their current RB21 challenger to their F1 2026 design.
F1 2026 engine overhaul: Will Mercedes reign supreme?
Formula 1 is heading for one of the biggest regulatory shake-ups seen in the sport, as for next season, both the chassis and engine rules will change, bringing smaller, lighter cars to the grid, propelled by engines using a 50/50 split between electrical power and fully-sustainable biofuels.
The last time Formula 1 re-wrote the engine rulebook was in 2014, which heralded the dawn of the Mercedes era, as eight consecutive Constructors’ Championships were claimed.
Naturally, that has created great intrigue surrounding Mercedes for F1 2026. Can lightning strike twice?
Back in April, it was reported that only one manufacturer was in a good place – the rumour mill pointing to that being Mercedes – while the others were apparently encountering serious issues with development of their F1 2026 engine.
Red Bull are taking the plunge as an F1 engine manufacturer for the first time, their Red Bull Powertrains project linking-up with Ford, while Ferrari, Honda and Audi are also hard at work on their new creations.
Renault were due to be the sixth player under the new regulations, but in September 2024 announced that they would cease to be an engine manufacturer at the end of the current era, leaving their Alpine team to strike a customer deal with Mercedes.
If the rumours are to be believed, bolting a Mercedes engine into the back of the F1 2026 Alpine will be a wise choice, though Marko has seen no evidence to make him buy into the talk.
“Mercedes has declared itself the favourite, but nothing has proven that,” Marko told Kleine Zeitung.
“The development of the combustion engine alone is incredible. The engine is smaller than the one in my lawnmower!
“You have three or four things that are important for the new car: the combustion engine, we’re there and if there are no durability problems, it won’t be a game changer. The decisive factor is the battery, where we are starting with a conventional solution, and the petrol, a very important factor. Development is going very well with our partner Exxon.”
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With such sweeping changes on the way, teams are facing an important trade-off decision between their 2025 and 2026 efforts.
In Red Bull’s case, their Constructors’ Championship push is likely over, runaway leaders McLaren 288 points up the road, but Max Verstappen is not yet quite out of contention for a fifth straight Drivers’ title, the gap to Oscar Piastri in P1 69 points.
However, Red Bull are fast approaching the point of ending development of their RB21, or may have already reached it.
“There is a precise division of how the windtunnel and all the tools are used,” said Marko on Red Bull’s balancing act “At some point, however, we will say: ‘That’s it for further development.’
“For two reasons: Time – and the production of new parts takes time – and the cost cap.
“So the question is: Where do you spend your resources? I assume that after Silverstone or Spa at the latest, there will be a decision to concentrate entirely on the new car.”
Despite rumours linking Verstappen to Mercedes with he and Red Bull no longer the dominant force, his contract runs into F1 2026 and beyond with Red Bull expecting him to stay for the new era.
The second driver is a more uncertain picture, with Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda having both struggled for form alongside Verstappen this season.
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