Max Verstappen has already heard Red Bull’s new Formula 1 engine for 2026 and, so far, he has liked what he has heard.
Red Bull will embark on a new era with the upcoming regulation overhaul, as it will produce its own powertrain for the first time in collaboration with Ford.
The new engines will split power evenly between the electrical systems and the internal combustion engine, which will be run on fully sustainable biofuels.
Red Bull faces one of the biggest challenges on the grid, however, as the Milton Keynes-based squad has partnered with Ford for its maiden power unit venture.
Mercedes and Honda have already released audio from their 2026 engines, while Red Bull has not. But Verstappen divulged that he’s heard it privately on the dyno.
Speaking on Red Bull’s in-house Talking Bull podcast, Verstappen confirmed that he has heard the Red Bull-Ford unit. After joking that “It makes a noise!”, he expanded on his impression.
“It sounded good. Of course, you hear it on a dyno, but it sounded, like, crisp,” he addressed.
“I mean, I’m not sure they actually develop on the noise, but it made a good noise. I mean, it’s not a V10.”
Sound alone will not win races, but it was a positive first sign. The bigger question remains performance.
Verstappen’s manager, Raymond Vermeulen, urged caution when discussing expectations for 2026 as the Dutchman bids to add to his four Drivers’ Championships.
“What’s the reference for next year? Nobody knows,” Vermeulen said.
“So it will be very clear in the first few races how things are panning out. So we start with a fresh approach.
“We hear good things about the engine, but what is good?
“I don’t know, what’s the reference? So let’s wait and see.”
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