Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has claimed Max Verstappen‘s “drive fast and think” trait will be an “advantage” going into Formula 1‘s 2026 regulations reset.
The 2026 technical regulations will see all the teams on the grid start with a clean slate.
The Milton Keynes-based squad itself will be venturing into uncharted territory as it prepares to become a works outfit for the first time in its history.
With Honda’s announcement that it would be stepping away after 2021, Red Bull established its own power unit project with Ford entering the fray as a technical partner.
Paddock rumblings have long suggested that this has put the six-time Constructors’ Champions at a distinct disadvantage.
Marko, while not conceding that the team is in fact short on its own expectations with its maiden F1 engine, insisted that with Verstappen on its side, it would always have the upper hand.
“Internally we are happy,” he said.
“But like the others we don’t know the numbers from our competitors. But it’s not only the combustion engine, it’s fuel, it’s battery… and the car. And it’s also what I think is a big advantage for us.
“The driver has to be smart and clever how to use the power from the battery. And there is one driver who can drive fast and think. So that should be an advantage.”
Red Bull prepared for ‘immense’ 2026 F1 challenge
While Marko did not name the four-time F1 champion, his indications fit the bill exactly to the reputation that the 28-year-old has garnered in the paddock.
The new regulations will see 30kg lighter cars, and a bevvy of in-cockpit tools like a manual override button (akin to IndyCar’s push-to-pass mechanism) and active aero.
This would mean drivers will have to be on their toes and adapt their race craft to the new generations of cars. Additionally, with a 50-50 split between combustion and electrical propulsion, overtaking will be completely revamped – with a smaller, albeit sustained, window of deployment over the course of a single lap.
Naturally, Red Bull will count on Verstappen’s prowess both inside and outside the cockpit to drive its development.
Red Bull Chief Engineer Paul Monaghan also highlighted the complexities of preparing for such a drastic overhaul while insisting that the team was up for the challenge.
“Immense and plenty,” were his words to media including Motorsport Week when asked to describe the challenge ahead.
“Two very simple words to sum it up. Some things are already set in stone. The engines are in manufacture.
“We’ve got large chunks of the car in manufacture. Getting a car to reliably do laps in a simulation world is proving quite difficult, but somehow we’ll be ready for Barcelona [the first test, behind closed doors on 26-30 January], won’t we?
“As will everybody else. How ready we will see – and then really it’s quite a mountain to climb, 2026, but it’s there for all of us to climb, isn’t it?
“If we’re at the summit first or if we’re at the summit and others are already there, that’s part of the sport. It’s not a determined outcome. It’s an unknown outcome and we I think can be competitive next year.
“I think we’ll have a good car, a good engine. We’ve got awesome drivers so let’s see how we get on.”
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