2026 Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 Team

[f1isgood]

I miss the tradition of Red Bull shakedown with blurry images and hundreds of post trying to decipher one shady detail on them.

I also don't like this year's pre-season schedule. I got used to see the cars running on the track few days after the first images appear. Now we can wait weeks for the first public test.

It's too early. Typically these shots were around mid February

[f1isgood]

It will be quite interesting to see the first non-Newey car for Red Bull since decades
Will they also have engineering trends like the hole in the diffuser or even new features that we haven't seen yet.

The PU is likely the biggest unknown for the team.

Last year's car was a non-Newey car and did quite well. Just like how teams should no longer be dependent on one single person for making a car when someone's full time job is to take care of this (Wache). They should be generally fine.

Re PU, I am curious to see the cooling requirements because Racing Bulls had quite the airbox.

[madridista]

It will be quite interesting to see the first non-Newey car for Red Bull since decades
Will they also have engineering trends like the hole in the diffuser or even new features that we haven't seen yet.

The PU is likely the biggest unknown for the team.

Last year's car was a non-Newey car and did quite well.

Yes, with newey being present going into the new regulations and working on the car until mid 2024. I guess that might have helped in knowing where and how to look for performance going into 2025. I think thats what lio is trying to say too.

[AR3-GP]

----

[lio007]

The truck has arrived.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/G_WHNvTX0AA ... me=900x900

I have some doubts...

About what?

[AR3-GP]

The truck has arrived.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/G_WHNvTX0AA ... me=900x900

I have some doubts...

About what?

nevermind, I misunderstood something.

[gearboxtrouble]

Last year's car was a non-Newey car and did quite well. Just like how teams should no longer be dependent on one single person for making a car when someone's full time job is to take care of this (Wache). They should be generally fine.

Re PU, I am curious to see the cooling requirements because Racing Bulls had quite the airbox.

It is rare for teams using the same PU and drivetrain components to go in completely different directions on the cooling design. I would be genuinely surprised if Red Bull didn't have the same giant airbox. My guess is it does two things for them - it lets them use a lighter air to air intercooler in a ruleset where weight targets are extremely aggressive and it also lets them use extreme undercuts on the sidepods rather like the wingpods they used in 2024 to maximize the floor performance. Very curious to see the real thing - my guess is there won't be clear pictures until the first Bahrain test.

[Badger]

Last year's car was a non-Newey car and did quite well. Just like how teams should no longer be dependent on one single person for making a car when someone's full time job is to take care of this (Wache). They should be generally fine.

Re PU, I am curious to see the cooling requirements because Racing Bulls had quite the airbox.

It is rare for teams using the same PU and drivetrain components to go in completely different directions on the cooling design. I would be genuinely surprised if Red Bull didn't have the same giant airbox. My guess is it does two things for them - it lets them use a lighter air to air intercooler in a ruleset where weight targets are extremely aggressive and it also lets them use extreme undercuts on the sidepods rather like the wingpods they used in 2024 to maximize the floor performance. Very curious to see the real thing - my guess is there won't be clear pictures until the first Bahrain test.

I am also inclined to believe that they will have a large airbox, though I'm sure their overall cooling solution will be neater than Racing Bulls as it always is. But there could be major differences. Take the VF-26 that just released and compare its airbox to the SF-26, same engine but different cooling layouts.

[Wouter]

Team principal of Max Verstappen foresees tough months: ‘Be patient and give us time’

Erik van Haren
25-01-2026, 08:30

Barcelona . Laurent Mekies calls for patience and expects ‘heavy first months’ for Red Bull Racing in the upcoming Formula 1 season. At the same time, the team principal does not think that that prognosis is troubled by his golden cock Max Verstappen.
Is it a case of ‘covering’ or no more than a realistic line of thought? Admittedly, it would also seem very arrogant if Laurent Mekies is now going to shout for a moment that his team Red Bull Racing will put things up in Formula 1 this year.
For this, at this stage, since there have not yet been an official kilometer with the new cars and engines, there are still far too many question marks. And the 48-year-old Frenchman realizes that Red Bull is not normally (yet) the leading manufacturer in the motor field, now that a power source has been built in Milton Keynes for the first time in history.

“But yes, on the other hand, this is also something that only Red Bull can do,” he said in a statement, saying that the company has developed its own engine as a non-car manufacturer, one of the big dreams of the late team founder Dietrich Mateschitz. “That also means that we have to temper expectations in the first part of the season. And need to get the chassis and the engine going. Then you will see that we will make progress. At least I hope so, but this team has always proven that over the years.”
Mekies would add that he really doesn't play games at this stage. “You have to see it this way: the scale of this challenge is monumental. To develop your own engine from scratch, you should not underestimate that. If you think that we are directly at the same level as manufacturers that have been doing this for ninety years: that is not going to happen.”

He continued: “So yes, we expect the first months to be tough. And that we will have headaches and sleepless nights, and that we sometimes have trouble getting the car out of the garage. All true, but we also believe that we have the right people, the right partners and the right facilities to find our way up. Be patient and give us time.”



Mekies – previously working at Ferrari and motorsport federation FIA – has the blow of the whip. So he also knows that there will be pulling Max Verstappen, if Red Bull indeed performs disappointingly this year. Although the big boss Oliver Mintzlaff said in December that he thinks Verstappen will stay with Red Bull ‘forever’. Which is also the intention of the Limburger.
“As I just explained, it would be very naive to think that we are directly at the highest level. That's crazy work," Mekies argues. “It would also be strange to think that Max doesn’t understand that, he fully understands that. The fact that we are now objectively describing the state of affairs does not mean that we do not have the ambition to become number 1. So leave no doubt what our ultimate goal is. Max is involved in every discussion, every analysis and the way we take risks. He is taken everywhere.”

For Verstappen (28), Mekies will see a big advantage in the coming period, when it comes to his qualities as a driver. With the new cars, drivers can adjust the position of their front and rear wing themselves while driving (active aerodynamics) and they need to be even more concerned with dealing with the energy capacity of their battery in the right way.

Mekies thinks that intelligent drivers like Verstappen can gain a profit from that. “I think we have a triple advantage with Max. First of all, because of his level of involvement. Second, his feeling in the car and the extra brain capacity he has in the car to deal with all those things. The influence of drivers on performance is increased with the new regulations. Finally, Max can push the team in the right direction like no other, so that we can get even more out of the car and engine. He gives us a significant boost in that regard.”

Source: The Telegraaf

https://archive.is/UqIp8

[Sergej]

I guess so many soft and no hard set is because of the low temps they're getting ?

[loekf2]

Team principal of Max Verstappen foresees tough months: ‘Be patient and give us time’

Erik van Haren
25-01-2026, 08:30

Barcelona . Laurent Mekies calls for patience and expects ‘heavy first months’ for Red Bull Racing in the upcoming Formula 1 season. At the same time, the team principal does not think that that prognosis is troubled by his golden cock Max Verstappen.
Is it a case of ‘covering’ or no more than a realistic line of thought? Admittedly, it would also seem very arrogant if Laurent Mekies is now going to shout for a moment that his team Red Bull Racing will put things up in Formula 1 this year.
For this, at this stage, since there have not yet been an official kilometer with the new cars and engines, there are still far too many question marks. And the 48-year-old Frenchman realizes that Red Bull is not normally (yet) the leading manufacturer in the motor field, now that a power source has been built in Milton Keynes for the first time in history.

“But yes, on the other hand, this is also something that only Red Bull can do,” he said in a statement, saying that the company has developed its own engine as a non-car manufacturer, one of the big dreams of the late team founder Dietrich Mateschitz. “That also means that we have to temper expectations in the first part of the season. And need to get the chassis and the engine going. Then you will see that we will make progress. At least I hope so, but this team has always proven that over the years.”
Mekies would add that he really doesn't play games at this stage. “You have to see it this way: the scale of this challenge is monumental. To develop your own engine from scratch, you should not underestimate that. If you think that we are directly at the same level as manufacturers that have been doing this for ninety years: that is not going to happen.”

He continued: “So yes, we expect the first months to be tough. And that we will have headaches and sleepless nights, and that we sometimes have trouble getting the car out of the garage. All true, but we also believe that we have the right people, the right partners and the right facilities to find our way up. Be patient and give us time.”

https://d60694r9rdbdaj.archive.is/UqIp8 ... 042ea.webp

Mekies – previously working at Ferrari and motorsport federation FIA – has the blow of the whip. So he also knows that there will be pulling Max Verstappen, if Red Bull indeed performs disappointingly this year. Although the big boss Oliver Mintzlaff said in December that he thinks Verstappen will stay with Red Bull ‘forever’. Which is also the intention of the Limburger.
“As I just explained, it would be very naive to think that we are directly at the highest level. That's crazy work," Mekies argues. “It would also be strange to think that Max doesn’t understand that, he fully understands that. The fact that we are now objectively describing the state of affairs does not mean that we do not have the ambition to become number 1. So leave no doubt what our ultimate goal is. Max is involved in every discussion, every analysis and the way we take risks. He is taken everywhere.”

For Verstappen (28), Mekies will see a big advantage in the coming period, when it comes to his qualities as a driver. With the new cars, drivers can adjust the position of their front and rear wing themselves while driving (active aerodynamics) and they need to be even more concerned with dealing with the energy capacity of their battery in the right way.

Mekies thinks that intelligent drivers like Verstappen can gain a profit from that. “I think we have a triple advantage with Max. First of all, because of his level of involvement. Second, his feeling in the car and the extra brain capacity he has in the car to deal with all those things. The influence of drivers on performance is increased with the new regulations. Finally, Max can push the team in the right direction like no other, so that we can get even more out of the car and engine. He gives us a significant boost in that regard.”

Source: The Telegraaf

https://archive.is/UqIp8

Getting a bit tired of these headline filling articles. Every team has a new car, new engine, new rules. Nothing to say until the first FP in 2026. Let just hope Red Bull has their wind tunnel correlation in order, because the new one is not operational yet.

[Valeo]

I guess so many soft and no hard set is because of the low temps they're getting ?
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/G_f3rztXYAA ... ame=medium

The hard compound was horrible at Barcelona the last few years even in much more favourable (hot) conditions so I guess a sensible decision not to waste time with this tyre. Makes much more sense for Bahrain.

[Badger]

I guess so many soft and no hard set is because of the low temps they're getting ?
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/G_f3rztXYAA ... ame=medium

The hard compound was horrible at Barcelona the last few years even in much more favourable (hot) conditions so I guess a sensible decision not to waste time with this tyre. Makes much more sense for Bahrain.

The C3 has been the best race tyre in Barcelona for years. In the cold with lower downforce cars it’s going to be the most representative tyre.

[f1isgood]

Last year's car was a non-Newey car and did quite well. Just like how teams should no longer be dependent on one single person for making a car when someone's full time job is to take care of this (Wache). They should be generally fine.

Re PU, I am curious to see the cooling requirements because Racing Bulls had quite the airbox.

It is rare for teams using the same PU and drivetrain components to go in completely different directions on the cooling design. I would be genuinely surprised if Red Bull didn't have the same giant airbox. My guess is it does two things for them - it lets them use a lighter air to air intercooler in a ruleset where weight targets are extremely aggressive and it also lets them use extreme undercuts on the sidepods rather like the wingpods they used in 2024 to maximize the floor performance. Very curious to see the real thing - my guess is there won't be clear pictures until the first Bahrain test.

I am also inclined to believe that they will have a large airbox, though I'm sure their overall cooling solution will be neater than Racing Bulls as it always is. But there could be major differences. Take the VF-26 that just released and compare its airbox to the SF-26, same engine but different cooling layouts.

+1. I'm curious to see how much they differ and if this has other architectural consequences.

[Valeo]

In the seat fitting video with Max one can see the airbox during the last few seconds and it looks the same as the render car