Red Bull is bracing for early difficulties in the 2026 Formula One season, yet expects long-term success. Team principal Laurent Mekies warned that the first phase will be tough. Mekies still expressed confidence that Red Bull will rise above rivals as the year develops. The team finished third in the Constructors' Championship last season, and now faces a major reset.
A key reason for the cautious outlook is Red Bull’s new power unit project with Ford. The partnership begins in 2026, marking a fresh start for the team’s engine programme. Mekies suggested that switching from an established supplier to an in-house collaboration will demand patience. The technical group must learn rapidly while racing against outfits with decades of engine experience.
Mekies underlined how difficult matching rivals immediately would be, considering their long history in the sport. "Starting from scratch, going into the first year, going to the first race soon, and thinking to be straight away at the level of the competition, who have been doing it for 90 years some of them, would be naive," said Mekies. The message pointed to a measured approach, even for a front-running organisation.
* everyone liked that *#F1 || #RedBullRacing pic.twitter.com/Fy1qmHdNfnOracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) January 16, 2026
The driver pairing also changes for Red Bull in 2026, adding another variable. Four-time world champion Max Verstappen stays, but Isack Hadjar joins from junior team Racing Bulls. Hadjar steps into a full-time race seat for the first time. Verstappen lost the 2025 championship by two points to McLaren driver Lando Norris, and is aiming for a fifth title.
Mekies accepted that the early races may highlight Red Bull’s learning curve with the new package. "We know it's going to be with a fair amount of struggles, headaches, sleepless nights. We will go through the struggle. We will eventually come out on top. Bear with us in the first few months. " The comments suggest that internal expectations remain high despite likely short-term pain.
Red Bull 2026 season schedule and early races
The opening rounds of the 2026 F1 season will quickly test Red Bull and Ford. The first race takes place in Australia on 8 March. The Chinese and Japanese Grands Prix follow before the end of the month, creating a demanding early run. That schedule gives limited time for major updates between long-haul events.
| Race | Country | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Season opener | Australia | 8 March 2026 |
| Second race | China | March 2026 |
| Third race | Japan | March 2026 |
Red Bull enters 2026 balancing realism with ambition, as a new engine project and fresh line-up converge. Mekies has tried to manage expectations for the early flyaway races, while backing the group to improve. Verstappen’s narrow defeat to Lando Norris in 2025 adds extra motivation. The team expects the hard work, and new Ford partnership, to pay off across the season.
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