Max Verstappen may hate the 2026 Formula 1 regulations, but at least the feeling within the Red Bull camp about its own performance is upbeat following the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. “I do feel really proud of the team,” said the four-time world champion. “They've done an incredible job to be where we are, to be fighting with McLaren, with the Mercedes engine.”
That’s possibly the happiest Verstappen has ever felt after finishing sixth, but it cannot be underestimated just how much of a challenge Red Bull faces this year with the debut of its power unit. From the start, the Austrian outfit suggested that it’d be “silly” - per team boss Laurent Mekies - to expect the engine to produce a performance which is similar to the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari, but that is exactly what’s happened across pre-season testing and the Melbourne opener, catching many by surprise.
