Red Bull expecting months of ‘struggles’ with new F1 engine

Red Bull admit they are expecting “struggles, headaches and sleepless nights” as they run their own F1 power unit for the first time in 2026.

Red Bull are embarking on a milestone challenge for the upcoming F1 2026 regulation shake-up by running their cars with their first-ever in-house engine in a collaboration with American car giant Ford.

F1 launch season officially kicked off in the early hours of Friday morning as Red Bull took the covers off a refreshed livery for 2026 at an event in Detroit, the home of their new engine partner.

Speaking at the launch, Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies conceded his side are anticipating early teething issues during the opening months of F1’s new era.

“We are entering a striking moment for Formula 1. It’s going to be the biggest change of regulations in Formula 1 history,” Mekies said.

“But that was not enough – it’s also the moment where we decided to do our own power unit, with the incredible support from our strategy partner Ford, with us from the very early days.”

Red Bull’s ‘crazy’ challenge

Mekies added: “It’s a crazy challenge – perhaps it’s a challenge that only a company like Red Bull and Ford can decide to do, but that’s what we are here for. It’s going to be a year full of challenges, but it’s fundamentally what brings us together.

“After everything we’ve said on the size of the challenge, of starting from scratch and building everything up, I think going into the first year and going to the first race and thinking to be straight away at the level of the competition – who have been doing it for years – would be naïve.

“We are not naïve. We know it’s going to be a fair amount of struggles, a fair amount of headaches and sleepless nights, but that’s exactly what we are here for. We have the confidence of having put together an amazing group of people, an amazing group of partners, and we will go through the struggles.

“We will eventually come out on top. Bear with us in the first few months, and I think these initial difficulties will be a good reminder of how much we went through to eventually get on top.”

Ford CEO Jim Farley described the task as a “mountain to climb” but insisted the company are fully prepared to support Red Bull.

“Ford knows exactly what we need to do to support the Red Bull team,” he stressed.

“That’s the most important thing, that we know exactly how we can help, and make the first race and first part of the season a success.

“That’s what we’re looking for, the clarity of our work.”