The first Formula 1 pre-season test in Sakhir, Bahrain, is not yet revealing the true competitive order between chassis and power unit packages. However, it is offering early indications of what could emerge once all teams stop hiding and fully prepare for the start of the new season.
While everyone awaits the final and decisive test session — the one that should provide a clearer picture of the real pecking order — some observers, perhaps not without a degree of convenience, have already pointed to one team that appears to have taken the right direction from the outset. That team is Red Bull.
The two Williams drivers — and yes, Williams is one of Mercedes’ customer teams in terms of power units, currently under scrutiny for compression ratio discussions — both made noteworthy comments about the RB22, which this season will be driven by Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar.
“It’s still very early, but if I had to judge from yesterday’s GPS data, at the moment it’s true that whatever Red Bull Ford Powertrains were doing yesterday was clearly a step ahead of everyone else,” said Carlos Sainz.
“Not just a small step, but an obvious and really impressive step forward.
“If they manage to arrive at the first race with a completely new regulation set, a completely new engine, new people and turn out to have the fastest and most reliable engine, you have to take your hat off to them and admire what they have achieved, because at least what they showed yesterday was really impressive.”
Alexander Albon shares the same view as his Spanish team-mate. The Thai driver, however, went beyond confirming Sainz’s impressions about the power unit and openly spoke about how driveable the RB22 already appears to be.
This is no minor detail. Developing a brand-new internal combustion engine and pairing it with a 350 kW MGU-K — significantly more powerful than the version used up to 2025 — while quickly finding a way to optimise the combined output throughout the lap is a remarkable achievement.
“The new car is slightly more agile compared to last year’s. First of all, there are quite significant differences between the teams. I think even just by watching the track, you can see it — you follow a McLaren, you follow a Haas. Completely different driving lines, different ways of achieving lap time. Different deployment through the lap. So I think everything will start to converge as we get closer to the first race weekend.
“I think in terms of cornering, there are a few competitive teams. I think the top four teams are all strong in the twisty sections. But Red Bull is strong on the straights. From what we’ve seen so far… Not only is it strong on the straights, but it also seems more consistent in terms of performance. It looks like the drivability is excellent.”
“At the moment, a large part of the lap time comes down to drivability and the ability to make the car feel smooth in the simplest way possible.”
The statements from the Williams drivers add to the more diplomatic remarks made by Toto Wolff. As is well known, the Mercedes-built V6 developed in Brixworth is currently under scrutiny regarding compression ratios. For now, the attitude of those using it appears to be one of shifting media attention toward another engine — the one produced by Red Bull Powertrains.
There is little surprise in that. Initially, it even seemed that Milton Keynes had found a way to adjust compression ratios in a manner similar to what has been suggested about the German V6. However, the team led by Laurent Mekies subsequently stepped back and aligned itself with the protesting teams.
In short, the battle surrounding the new-generation power units mirrors the dawn of this new era of Formula 1 itself: it is only just beginning. And so too are the barbs and the controversies.
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