Formula 1 is preparing for a major regulation change in 2026, and all eyes will be on how teams adapt to the new rules. Among the top teams, Red Bull presents a particularly interesting case. With the introduction of a new team structure and regulatory shifts, there are many unknowns about how the Austrian outfit will perform. One factor not to be underestimated is Red Bull itself: after twenty years as a customer team, in 2026 the team will run its own power units, developed in collaboration with Ford.
Juan Pablo Montoya, the former Formula 1 driver from Colombia, commented on Red Bull’s prospects and expressed cautious optimism. “I think they could surprise with the Power Unit and it might not be as bad as people think. They have recruited the best directors from Mercedes, the top people from Ferrari, experts from all over,” Montoya said, highlighting the high-level talent now involved in Red Bull’s technical and management departments.
However, Montoya tempered expectations by pointing out that the absence of Adrian Newey, Red Bull’s legendary chief technical officer, will be felt on multiple levels. “They have an enormous amount of information. It takes time to collect it all and integrate it effectively. The problem for Red Bull next year is that before, there was one person, Adrian Newey, who made the final decision on what went on the car. Now everyone brings new ideas, everyone tries new things.”
Montoya identified the main challenge as the large number of talented engineers who are still early in their careers. “You are putting very capable people in charge, but they have no experience in management. They are losing Christian Horner, Adrian Newey, and Jonathan Wheatley: that is an enormous loss of leadership. It will take three or four years before they can dominate like they did before.”
As Max Verstappen himself has noted, Red Bull will face a period of rebuilding in order to return to consistent success. The big question remains: will the team be able to interpret the new regulations correctly and transform their current occasional competitiveness into sustained dominance?
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