Truth or mind games? The power unit developed along the Milton Keynes–Detroit axis is already sparking debate in the Formula 1 paddock after the first pre-season test in Bahrain.
What the Mercedes driver said
At the end of the opening test session in Bahrain, all the top teams essentially claimed to be the fourth-fastest outfit on track, in the classic pre-season game of positioning where mind games often take center stage.
However, during Day 1 – Wednesday – what truly caught attention was the Red Bull power unit’s ability to deploy energy with remarkable consistency and, according to rivals, for longer periods than other engines on the grid. These assessments were made using GPS data analysis throughout the sessions.
“Red Bull’s advantage is quite worrying,” George Russell said at the conclusion of the test, as reported by the BBC. “They are not just slightly ahead; we are talking about an advantage that ranges from half a second to a full second per lap.”
“Already in Barcelona on the first day of the shakedown they were ahead of everyone, they started strongly,” George Russell added. “Over the past 15 years, Red Bull have always built excellent cars, even when they didn’t have a competitive engine. Based on what we’ve seen so far in Spain and here in Bahrain, Red Bull will be ahead after the three hours of free practice in Melbourne.” – the Mercedes driver concluded following the first three days of F1 Testing in Bahrain.
George Russell’s assessment of a potential one-second gap highlights the immense technical success Red Bull Ford Powertrains seems to have achieved in its first-ever solo engine venture. While pre-season predictions are famously volatile, the specific mention of GPS-tracked energy deployment suggests that Red Bull’s advantage is built on a very real foundation of hybrid efficiency—a factor that could define the early years of the 2026 regulations.
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