Max Verstappen\u2019s manager Raymond Vermeulen has revealed the driver\u2019s personal team has been hearing \u201cgood things about\u201d the Red Bull-Ford engine, but, he acknowledges, \u201cwhat is good?\u201d<\/p>\n
Heading into the new season without a reference, both for the power unit and the car, he reckons the important part will be how quickly Red Bull can turn things around if it finds itself on the back foot.<\/p>\n
\u2018I don\u2019t know, what\u2019s the reference? So let\u2019s wait and see.\u2019<\/p>\n
Next season\u2019s Red Bull F1 car will be powered by the team\u2019s own engine, Red Bull taking its place in the line-up as an engine supplier for the first time after partnering up with Ford to produce its own in-house engines.<\/p>\n
Honda announced back in 2020 that it would officially leave Formula 1 after the 2021. It led to Red Bull creating Red Bull Powertrains, now \u2018Red Bull Ford Powertrains\u2019, to run the Honda engines themselves through to the end of 2025 when the split became official.<\/p>\n
Honda has headed off to Aston Martin, and Red Bull has been preparing for its first campaign as an engine supplier.<\/p>\n
According to Verstappen<\/a>\u2018s long-term manager, Vermeulen, the noises coming out of Red Bull Ford Powertrains so far has been good.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the reference for next year? Nobody knows,\u201d Vermeulen told the Dutch edition of RacingNews365<\/a>.<\/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.<\/p>\n \u201cWe hear good things about the engine, but what is good?<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, what\u2019s the reference? So let\u2019s wait and see.\u201d<\/p>\n More on F1 2026 on PlanetF1.com<\/p>\n MOM is out and Boost Mode in as key F1 2026 terms defined<\/a><\/p>\n Gallery: FOM and FIA unveil all-new renders of F1 2026 machinery<\/a><\/p>\n But while Vermeulen would, of course, like Red Bull with its all-new RB22 to come out of the blocks firing, the Dutchman accepts it may be a case of how quickly Red Bull and its rivals recover any deficit they may have that will be pivotal in how the season plays out.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the decisive point will be which team is able to turn it around as quickly as possible, if you\u2019re not high in the pecking order,\u201d he said.<\/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.<\/p>\n \u201cBut it\u2019s the same for everyone, so that\u2019s the good part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n There is a lot resting on the season for Red Bull CEO Oliver Mintzlaff certain Verstappen will stay on beyond 2026<\/a>, clauses in the four-time World Champion\u2019s contract could allow him to leave.<\/p>\n For now, though, Vermeulen says his driver is ready to give his all for Red Bull after an epic comeback in the F1 2025 season.<\/p>\n \u201cFor the moment, we are, absolutely [happy],\u201d he said. \u201cI think we had a hell of a season. We have a very challenging year ahead. Max is still young, still eager and still very quick. So, all to play for.\u201d<\/p>\n