Red Bull fears engine failure against Ferrari from 2026

From 2026, Red Bull will use a self-developed engine in Formula 1 for the first time. However, there are fears that they will be behind the established producers.

important points in brief

Red Bull sees itself at a disadvantage compared to the 2026 competition.
Large manufacturers can benefit from the new engine regulations.
Red Bull says it doesn’t have 70 years of experience compared to Ferrari.

Red Bull is currently the undisputed class leader in Formula 1: Since the start of the ground-effect era in 2022, there have been only seven races without a win for one of the two Bull drivers. Defending champion Max Verstappen will also be the benchmark in 2024 – but for how long?

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The lead over their immediate pursuers, especially Ferrari, is much smaller than last year. In addition, cows receive less development time than the competition. This further slows the aerodynamic development – and increases the chances of the pursuers to close the gap.

By 2026 at the latest, the cards in Formula 1 will be analyzed again: new technical regulations will come into force, including new engine rules. And with the current class leader, then you will find yourself at a disadvantage compared to the competition. Team boss Christian Horner confirms this to “RacingNews365”.

Red Bull at a loss with its own engine?

For the first time, Red Bull will not use a client engine, but will instead use internal development. Although they work together with the American giant Ford, the team is developing itself “We have a tendency to learn – and about a 70-year loss compared to Ferrari,” says Horner.

Horner predicts that the experience of the top producers behind the contending teams will pay off. “We have a great team,” said the Red Bull team boss. “We approach the engine with the same philosophy as we approach our chassis. But it’s a completely different challenge,” admits Horner.

“We won’t see what happens until 2026”

“There are no guarantees with these new regulations – it’s a blank piece of paper. And we don’t have the advantage of building on the existing engine,” complains the boss of the world champion team. “At the same time, we don’t have the inconvenience of working on the current engine.”

Horner rejects rumors that Red Bull’s internal development is not meeting its own goals. “We won’t see what happens until 2026,” the team boss waves. “But for now we are reaching our goals. When I look at what we have built in the last two years, it is very impressive.