Christian Horner has insisted Red Bull is pushing “hard” to upgrade its engines ahead of the 2026 season, amid rumours of Max Verstappen’s departure to Mercedes. The Dutchman has been discussed as a possible option to upgrade Lewis Hamilton to the Silver Arrows, with the seven-time world champion set to join Ferrari at the end of the current campaign.
Adjustments to F1 cars are expected to be made ahead of the 2026 season, with new engines that will consume “significantly less energy and produce net-zero CO2 emissions”. However, some have warned that developments in the Red Bull garage are not going as smoothly as expected, with the Austrian manufacturer’s calendar underway, which had sparked fears in Verstappen’s camp.
This was denied via Horner, who told motorsport. com: “With the engine we are on a competitive curve as a new powertrain manufacturer. But the team is up to the challenge. “
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“Our amenities are complete, whether it’s from a progression point of view, with inspection benches and installation rooms, etc. , and production capacity. But two years in the engine business is a very short period of time. We’re on a steep learning curve, but we’re on that curve and where we expect to be at this point. “
He continued, “We are achieving the goals we have set for ourselves. It’s hard to know how those goals compare to those of our competitors. But the effort behind the scenes is enormous, as it’s literally a race against time until the beginning. 2026. »
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Verstappen’s move to Mercedes had been reported, with team principal Toto Wolff saying he would “love” to take the three-time world champion out of Red Bull’s hands. But any Red Bull exit for Verstappen means a long road. However, the 26-year-old has a contract with the team until 2028.
It comes at a time when Verstappen seems to be the most productive on track so far this season, having won 3 of the first 4 races of the season. He will be keen to consolidate his position at the top of the Drivers’ Championship with first place in China this weekend. This is the first time since 2019 that the race has visited the Shanghai International Circuit, with editions of the last 3 seasons postponed due to Covid-19.
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