Red Bull facing the threat of being overtaken as Racing Bulls begin to dream
The start of the 2026 Formula 1 season is proving to be dramatically complicated for Red Bull. Pre-season testing in Bahrain had appeared to show a fairly reliable engine, and on the eve of the opening round of the year in Melbourne, the Red Bull Powertrains-Ford division was receiving praise for the impressive work carried out over the winter.
However, in Milton Keynes, it is now time to face reality. Max Verstappen found himself starting from the back of the grid in Australia due to a strange issue with rear axle locking. Things did not go any better for his teammate Isack Hadjar, whose power unit caught fire during the opening Grand Prix.
In China, the French driver arrived with a completely new engine in all its components—unsurprisingly, the one that caught fire was beyond recovery. Among the replaced parts was also the control electronics unit, which was changed once again before the race. Any further replacement will result in a grid penalty for Isack Hadjar. Max Verstappen cannot feel entirely comfortable either, as he was forced to retire from the Shanghai Grand Prix due to a technical problem.
Racing Bulls more reliable, overtaking Red Bull would be a major reward
The situation is nothing short of dramatic, and as if that were not enough, VCARB—the sister team running the same power unit—not only appears less affected by these issues but also reasonably competitive. At the very least, competitive enough to share fifth place in the constructors’ standings (12 points) with Red Bull, behind Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, and Haas, who have made an excellent start to the season.
At the time of the VCARB-03 launch, the Faenza-based team had been criticized for being too conservative in its power unit packaging. The cooling system for the internal components of the power unit, together with the air intake system, is certainly among the largest seen on the grid. Many observers believed it was oversized. However, with hindsight, it may have been Red Bull that pushed its solution too far, rather than VCARB being overly cautious.
Racing Bulls may have taken a conservative approach, but it has also managed to maintain solid competitiveness. Drivers Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad are delivering encouraging performances behind the wheel. Twelve points in two races is no small achievement for a team like VCARB. In Faenza, there is growing belief and ambition. Overtaking Red Bull in the constructors’ standings—even if only for a few races—would represent an invaluable engineering reward for the Italian team and a significant embarrassment for the Milton Keynes outfit.
The 2026 development race intensifies and the contrast between these two philosophies highlights the delicate balance between peak performance and mechanical survival. If Red Bull cannot find a way to stabilize their Ford-backed power units soon, the internal hierarchy of the energy drink giant’s racing empire could be headed for an unprecedented shake-up.
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