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Growing optimism about the Red Bull engine<\/h2>\n
When Red Bull first announced they would produce their own power units, starting in 2026, plenty of question marks were raised. The consensus was that the Milton Keynes outfit would struggle to compete with the established names.<\/p>\n
After all, it was only Honda’s<\/a> initial decision to abandon F1 in 2026 (which they then reversed) that forced Red Bull to pursue this path.<\/p>\n Even now, Red Bull are far from favourites heading into 2026. Mercedes have been repeatedly named as the engine manufacture to watch – even if the likes of James Vowles dismiss the accuracy of this narrative.<\/p>\n In any case, it would be a mistake to predict Red Bull can produce the best engine for the upcoming regulations.<\/p>\n At the same time, they certainly should not be written off. Over the last few weeks, increasingly positive reports<\/a> have emerged about their progress ahead of 2026.<\/p>\n Perhaps the most intriguing development surrounding the team is the controversial engine solution<\/a> which – like Mercedes – they are developing for next year. On the surface level, this creative use of thermal expansion to increase the 16:1 compression ratio could unlock important performance.<\/p>\n Additionally, Red Bull’s work on this area is indicative of their aggressive recruitment of engineers and engine technicians from rival teams.<\/p>\n Unlike Audi<\/a>, who have looked at their own pool of talent from other Motorsport categories, Laurent Mekies’ squad have signed the bulk of their employees from other manufacturers – including Mercedes.<\/p>\n Of course, this does not mean their engine department has the cohesion and level of integration of rivals. Still, with a workforce exceeding 600 people working in Red Bull’s engines, they are a serious proposition.<\/p>\n Generally speaking, team principals and senior figures try to lower expectations during the winter break. Toto Wolff<\/a> has already done his fair share of this for Mercedes over recent weeks.<\/p>\n This does not mean, however, teams will be exclusively negative about their 2026 prospects.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/12\/SI202505150759_hires_jpeg_24bit_rgb-1024x683.jpg\")
Reaching first targets<\/h4>\n