Max Verstappen has given little away in public, but his demeanour has caught attention as Red Bull beds in its first in-house Formula 1 power unit.
According to Bernie Collins, the four-time World Champion looks far more at ease than the noise around Red Bull Powertrains might suggest.
Subtle cues have hinted at confidence within the team.
Red Bull is entering new territory ahead of the 2026 regulations.
The RBPT-Ford engine has now completed its first significant mileage, logging 622 laps during the Barcelona test across Red Bull and Racing Bulls. It followed an earlier shakedown at Imola with Racing Bulls.
From a reliability standpoint, the early signs were positive. The engine ran without issue throughout the Barcelona running.
The only interruption to Red Bull’s programme came when Isack Hadjar crashed on the second day, unrelated to the power unit.
Expectations had been tempered long before the car hit the track. Many in the paddock predicted Red Bull would struggle to match Ferrari and Mercedes, both long-established engine manufacturers.
Collins believes that narrative may not align with what the team is seeing internally.
Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 podcast, she suggested Verstappen’s calm presence was revealing.
“There was a lot of noise in the paddock last year that this engine was really going to struggle,” Collins explained.
“It wasn’t going to be as good as the others, and I guess the story was maybe different internally at Red Bull, but we are starting to see that confidence come out a little bit.
“Max is sounding very relaxed, and I think you can tell by their posture, he’s not just saying the words, he is looking very relaxed.
“He does say that the car has room for improvement, that’s what happens in the first test of any season, but he does look quietly confident.
“He’s got that little smile he sometimes carries when he is in these interviews, that he knows much more than we do.”
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