Red Bull Powertrains in full development: Marko gives update

Red Bull Racing have been virtually unbeatable for two seasons, thanks in part to the Honda engine in the back of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez's cars. The partnership will continue for two more years, after which Red Bull will embark on an exciting new adventure: from 2026, the team will run with in-house developed power units called Red Bull Powertrains.

Obviously, you don't build an engine overnight, so Red Bull at a new factory in Milton Keyes are currently hard at work on the power unit for 2026. The development of the first Red Bull Powertrains is progressing well, Helmut Marko revealed to oe24. "Even though we are still far away from being able to be competitive, everything is going according to plan and the performance curve is right," stated the Austrian team's external consultant.

This is the first time that Red Bull Racing - and sister team AlphaTauri - will race with self-developed engines. It is not a given that such a project will be a resounding success right from day one. Undoubtedly, Red Bull are factoring in teething problems in the first months of the 2026 season, when Formula 1's technical regulations will be upended. Falling back to a plan B, such as still continuing with Honda, is not possible, according to Marko.

No way back for Red Bull

"No, this has to work," the Austrian argued. "From 2026 we will drive our own engine. Until then, we want the best possible performance potential from Honda, which has worked well so far. The Honda deal came from me, so I will continue to ensure that [that Honda and Red Bull perform maximally]."