{"id":360887,"date":"2025-12-20T17:51:09","date_gmt":"2025-12-20T17:51:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/360887\/"},"modified":"2025-12-20T17:51:09","modified_gmt":"2025-12-20T17:51:09","slug":"max-verstappen-camp-shares-positive-red-bull-f1-engine-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/360887\/","title":{"rendered":"Max Verstappen camp shares positive Red Bull F1 engine update"},"content":{"rendered":"

Max Verstappen<\/a>\u2018s manager, Raymond Vermeulen, has revealed \u201cthe good things\u201d he has heard about Red Bull\u2019s 2026 Formula 1<\/a> power unit.<\/p>\n

The Milton Keynes-based outfit will enter the 2026 F1 grid as an OEM for the first time ever \u2013 after partnering up with Ford to produce its own in-house engines.<\/p>\n

Naturally, the outlook with respect to its competitiveness is one riddled with apprehension, given the vast unknown it has entered.<\/p>\n

That said, Vermeulen, who has been in constant touch with Red Bull, is cautiously optimistic about the team\u2019s chances. <\/p>\n

He believes that the pecking order will be pretty clear across the opening few rounds of 2026.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s the reference for next year? Nobody knows,\u201d he told RacingNews365. <\/p>\n

\u201cSo it will be very clear in the first few races how things are panning out. So we start with a fresh approach.\u201d<\/p>\n

He went on to add how his liaisons with the team have ended up in good feedback about the 2026 power unit, yet, what ultimately would decided Red Bull\u2019s fate will be how equipped it is to bounce back if it falls behind its rivals in the opening phase of the season. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe hear good things about the engine, but what is good? I don\u2019t know, what\u2019s the reference? So let\u2019s wait and see,\u201d added Vermeulen. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think the trigger point will be which team is able to turn it around as quickly as possible, if you\u2019re not high in the pecking order.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, how to reshuffle the office back in the factory and get new parts on the car to have a quick car. So, let\u2019s see how that pans out. But it\u2019s the same for everyone, so that\u2019s the good part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"MaxMax Verstappen\u2019s manager has heard \u2018good things\u2019 about Red Bull\u2019s power unit<\/p>\n

Verstappen clan predicts \u2018a hell of a season\u2019 in 2026<\/p>\n

Verstappen narrowly missed out on a fifth consecutive F1 title to McLaren\u2019s Lando Norris by just two points at the season finale in Abu Dhabi.<\/p>\n

And while the Woking-based squad is touted to carry forward its form into the latest era of the sport as well, Red Bull has seemingly emerged as the dark horse.<\/p>\n

Reports coming from within the paddock suggest the likes of Mercedes and Red Bull have found a grey area within the PU regulations \u2013 handing them a couple of tenths.<\/p>\n

If true, McLaren would also benefit from being a Mercedes customer outfit; however, Vermeulen is confident that, given how tight the margins were this season, Verstappen\u2019s hunger for more will be a decisive edge in his favour.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the moment, we are, absolutely [happy],\u201d he asserted. \u201cI think we had a hell of a season.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a very challenging year ahead. Max is still young, still eager and still very quick. So, all to play for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vermeulen\u2019s analysis also finds credence in the efforts Red Bull has been putting into its 2026 programme. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a good group of people. Red Bull, the motor company, is fully behind it,\u201d he concluded. <\/p>\n

\u201cThey are fully committed, investing huge amounts of money in engines and the wind tunnel and factory settings, so everything is on green. So let\u2019s see.\u201d<\/p>\n

READ MORE \u2013 Max Verstappen reveals Red Bull call he disagreed with in F1 2025<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Max Verstappen\u2018s manager, Raymond Vermeulen, has revealed \u201cthe good things\u201d he has heard about Red Bull\u2019s 2026 Formula…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":360888,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[573],"tags":[64,63,817,813,816,825,15196,85,196691],"class_list":{"0":"post-360887","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-formula-1","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-f1","11":"tag-formula-1","12":"tag-formula1","13":"tag-max-verstappen","14":"tag-redbull","15":"tag-sports","16":"tag-vermeulen"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/360887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=360887"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/360887\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/360888"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=360887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=360887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=360887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}