2026 Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 Team

[AR3-GP]

According to Russell, it's not Mercedes, but Red Bull that's hiding their speed!

Russell: "I don't think there was any 'dirty tricks' being played on our side during testing. We stuck faithfully to our preparation plans for two weeks; we never changed the amount of fuel in our tank or the power of our engine. When testing, we didn't put in any special effort to show ourselves as faster or slower than we actually are. To be honest, Red Bull was suspiciously slow in the second tests. Whereas in the first tests, we'd seen them as clearly the fastest team by a mile. According to our calculations, in the second tests, they fell back by about 0.7 seconds from their own speeds. We and Ferrari, on the other hand, gained about 0.2-0.3 seconds thanks to a few new parts fitted to the car. It's really hard to understand how a team could slow down that much in just one week. That's why I think they're actually very, very strong and hiding their true speed. We're all dying with curiosity to see what happens."

@KemalSengulll

[FW17]

According to Russell, it's not Mercedes, but Red Bull that's hiding their speed!

Russell: "I don't think there was any 'dirty tricks' being played on our side during testing. We stuck faithfully to our preparation plans for two weeks; we never changed the amount of fuel in our tank or the power of our engine. When testing, we didn't put in any special effort to show ourselves as faster or slower than we actually are. To be honest, Red Bull was suspiciously slow in the second tests. Whereas in the first tests, we'd seen them as clearly the fastest team by a mile. According to our calculations, in the second tests, they fell back by about 0.7 seconds from their own speeds. We and Ferrari, on the other hand, gained about 0.2-0.3 seconds thanks to a few new parts fitted to the car. It's really hard to understand how a team could slow down that much in just one week. That's why I think they're actually very, very strong and hiding their true speed. We're all dying with curiosity to see what happens."

@KemalSengulll

Red Bull brought a downgrade to their car at Bahrain

[AR3-GP]

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[Badger]

Let me translate that for you:
“I don’t want to be the favourite even if I should be. I’m terrified of losing to Verstappen in a slower car so I’m going to pretend his car is amazing”.

[avantman]

Let me translate that for you:
“I don’t want to be the favourite even if I should be. I’m terrified of losing to Verstappen in a slower car so I’m going to pretend his car is amazing”.

The only correct answer. Leclerc by the way behaves exactly the same way.

[Sergej]

It's a pathetic outsider game. Thankfully just a few days and it'll be over.

Btw happy season to everyone

[nitrotech]

Let me translate that for you:
“I don’t want to be the favourite even if I should be. I’m terrified of losing to Verstappen in a slower car so I’m going to pretend his car is amazing”.

Yeah just like Verstappen in a slower car (that won 6 of the last 9 races comfortably) beat Lando last year for championship.

[f1isgood]

This season is going to be interesting. As long as the top teams are reachable with some good aero development.

[f1isgood]

It's a pathetic outsider game. Thankfully just a few days and it'll be over.

Btw happy season to everyone

Leclerc usually doesn't do politics but I guess he's being overly cautious because he might actually have a chance. Russell is peak PR.

In any case there's even lower expectations than last year from my end. As long as Red Bull can win here and there and have good races it'll be a good year.

[AR3-GP]

Australia is traditionally a bad track for Red Bull. They have a 50% finishing record in the last 4 races here.

[f1isgood]

Australia is traditionally a bad track for Red Bull. They have a 50% finishing record in the last 4 races here.

Yeah and with new PU it might go kaboom

So in this case I have no expectations

[avantman]

Leclerc usually doesn't do politics but I guess he's being overly cautious because he might actually have a chance.

That has nothing to do with politics, rather mental trauma. Max has been beating the poor lad all his life. Now he wants everyone to know in advance that if Max finishes ahead of his it is only because “Red Bull is faster than Ferrari”, not because Max is faster or better overall than him. He’s been like that for years, how could you not notice.
Russell actually has been more direct and honest in the peast to his credit. On those occasions where Mercedes did indeed have the fastest car (and faster than red bulll) he was never shy to call it even when it was not really that clear-cut obvious and advantage looked marginal and he got beaten by Max individual superiority. Canada 2024 being a prime example. Give me one single example where Leclerc says Max beat him in a slower car. I will wait But George has never been in a position to fight for the championship before, hence why this year his approach might be different, at least for now. Leclerc’s default agenda is and has always been that Red Bull is faster than Ferrari.

[FittingMechanics]

Drivers (and teams) tend to do that, say that the others are faster or if they are the fastest, then they will always talk how others are so close (remember Toto). It's just trying to manage expectations and reduce pressure.

Everyone does it. Doesn't mean there are big psychological reasons for it.

[Badger]

Let me translate that for you:
“I don’t want to be the favourite even if I should be. I’m terrified of losing to Verstappen in a slower car so I’m going to pretend his car is amazing”.

Yeah just like Verstappen in a slower car (that won 6 of the last 9 races comfortably) beat Lando last year for championship.

2024 showed Max can win in a worse car. 2025 showed Max can take it to the final race in a much worse car. That's why George is talking like this, he needs the "RB is super strong" narrative to protect himself just in case Verstappen starts beating him in a year where no one was expecting RB to be competing at the front.

[Sergej]

It's a pathetic outsider game. Thankfully just a few days and it'll be over.

Btw happy season to everyone

Leclerc usually doesn't do politics but I guess he's being overly cautious because he might actually have a chance. Russell is peak PR.

In any case there's even lower expectations than last year from my end. As long as Red Bull can win here and there and have good races it'll be a good year.

Ferrari are being ultra low profile this year after the clown show of last year.

Same for me wrt RB expectations.