Red Bull Racing dethroned the longest reigning champions of Formula One, Mercedes, to give birth to a new era. An era where no competitor will ever be able to come anywhere remotely close to threatening their dominance. So far, the drink-based team has successfully maintained its vision. However, with new regulations set to be enforced a few years from now, the defending champions are worried.
As earlier announced by F1, the sport will undergo a massive change in 2026. A new set of rules and regulations will come into effect, which will possibly give every team an equal platform to compete. 2026 is still way far away, but Red Bull has had the luxury to already work on its 2026 project. However, the results have sent chills down their spines as they fear a threat to their hard-earned dominance.
Max Verstappen Sounds Off Alarming Message To Red Bull!
Red Bull Racing have already tested the 2026 proposed engine regulations on the simulator, and the results have left their lead driver, Max Verstappen, terrified. He termed it as “terrible” and believes that it’s not the way FIA should be headed. According to Verstappen’s analysis, the battle in 2026 under these regulations will come down to an ICE competition. Hence, the team with the strongest engine will attain a massive advantage. This will give rise to a massive development war which will be expensive and also not in the best interest of the sport. Not only that, but the Dutch driver is also worried about the changes in aerodynamics.
Max Verstappen likes to control the aerodynamics of his car manual. But he says that with new regulations, the system will attain full control of it, which will make his driving experience extremely uncomfortable. Overall, the defending champion is worried about his odds of winning in 2026. Having said that, 2026 is still a long road ahead. By then, the drink-based team will have enough data to work on. Also, in 2026, Red Bull is manufacturing their own home-grown internal combustion engine. Hence, they will also have the luxury to tweak their production according to their own preference and needs.
Christian Horner Echoes Max Verstappen’s Sentiments On 2026 Engine Regulations
After Max Verstappen sounded off a dramatic alarm, Red Bull chief Christian Horner resonated with his sentiment. Horner is particularly concerned about the chassis rules. He believes that chassis will reduce the moving of aerodynamics, which will, in turn, reduce drag level massively. A reduced drag level is not good for racing. Hence, the team principal is privately conveying his concerns during F1 Commission meetings.
The concerns of Red Bull and Max Verstappen have led to various speculations. Some believe that the team’s idea of a homegrown engine is not going according to plan. They already seem to know that their engine is not up to the mark and hence want to manipulate FIA for their own personal benefits. Having said that, Red Bull still has a lot of time on their deck to work out the issues. The regulations are likely to come as proposed. Hence, the team will have to find a way to work around it.
