Marko highlights crucial factor that could determine everything for Red Bull

A key factor is the power unit that Red Bull will develop themselves from 2026 onward, in collaboration with Ford. For the first time, the team will race their own engines, but the competition is not standing still.

Mercedes – who emerged the strongest from the major engine regulation change in 2014 – is again tipped as the favorite in the new era for engine performance, although, of course, there's much more to it.

Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko remains optimistic. In a conversation with F1-Insider, he downplays the prospects of the competition. "It's still a matter of crystal ball gazing," he says. "It comes down to four things: the battery management, the combustion engine, the software, and – not to be underestimated – the mandatory biofuel. I have confidence in our technicians and am receiving good feedback."

GPblog reported earlier on Wednesday that Verstappen will decide by the summer break at the latest which Formula 1 team he will race for in 2026. It could still go either way. His contract runs until the end of 2028, but a departure could be possible – especially if Red Bull indeed resigns themselves to that possibility.

The Grand Prix weekend at Spa-Francorchamps could prove to be crucial. Red Bull is implementing new updates there and wants to show under the leadership of Laurent Mekies – the replacement for the fired Christian Horner - that the team has found the path upwards. Whether that will be enough to convince Verstappen will become clear in a few weeks.