Helmut Marko has claimed Red Bull are comfortably on track as the progression of its first powertrain assignment continues. In the past he had hinted that the Milton Keynes-based team was second in the engine battle, Mercedes was still noticeably ahead of Ferrari and Audi.
Currently, Red Bull is a powertrain produced through Japanese manufacturer Honda following a freeze caused by the announcement of its departure from the sport. However, the reigning constructors’ champions will provide their in-house produced engines when the sport’s new technical regulations come into force. in 2026.
Honda has since announced a surprise return to the sport, signing an exclusive deal to supply powertrains to the Aston Martin team when the new regulations come into force. The Silverstone-based team is a long-time visiting team to Mercedes, however, they have searched in an attempt to identify their position as the more sensible team.
Speaking to Austrian news agency OE24 about the progress of its development, Marko revealed: “Although we are still far from a competitive launch, everything is going according to plan, the functionality curve is correct. “
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The Red Bull advisor was then asked whether or not Red Bull would consider sticking with Honda in 2026 if development meanders off track before the new technical regulations come into effect, but Marko did not entertain the idea.
“No,” he responded. “It has to work. From 2026, we will be racing with our own engine. Until then, we want the best possible performance potential from Honda, which has worked well so far. Honda was my deal, so I will continue to look after it.”
These comments follow bold claims from Marko last summer about the team’s power unit progress. The Austrian formerly claimed: “We are miles ahead of Ferrari and Audi. From the rumours going around, we are not in the lead, but in second position.”
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Therefore, second position would leave Red Bull Mercedes, who are hoping to give them a disappointing start in the ground-effect regulations with their 2024 challenger, the W15.
In the past, the Silver Arrows dominated the turbo-hybrid era with their impressive powertrain and, given the probably greater push given to get a tough engine in 2026, it would put Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in a great position to fight for the drivers’ championship. championship titles.
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