After Max Verstappen cinched his first World Drivers' Championship at the end of the 2021 season, we entered the Ground Effect era and a period of pure domination from both the Dutchman and his team, Red Bull Racing.
In 2023, for example, Red Bull won all but one race, an unprecedented feat that made Formula 1 history. McLaren's resurgence made 2024 a more challenging year, while the 2025 season saw the team face significant struggles. It wasn't until after the summer break that Verstappen mounted an incredible comeback, which saw him finish just 2 points behind the eventual Drivers' Champion, Lando Norris.
This year brings new regulations, ushering in some of the biggest changes to the sport in F1 history. As a result, nobody knows which drivers or teams will reign supreme.
However, Red Bull Team Principal Laurent Mekies has suggested that fans keep expectations in check when Verstappen and new teammate Isack Hadjar go racing with a new Ford engine (Red Bull previously used Honda engines).
"We know it’s going to come with some difficulties," the Frechman explained. "We know we are going to have quite a few sleepless nights and a few headaches. But please bear with us for the first few months."
"Nobody underestimates the size of the mountain that we have to climb. It’s the sort of challenge we all want to be associated with, and hopefully, eventually we will come out on top. I think it would be naïve, to say the least, for us to think that [Red Bull will be fastest]."
"Yes, we have done everything from zero – with great support from Ford – and then we turn up at the first race and we are the same level as people that have been doing it for ninety years," Mekies continued. "It’s not going to be like that, we are going to be trailing them. We are going to be in incredibly high development race seasons. Both on the chassis side and power unit side."
While Red Bull may be playing games with its rivals by underselling its new engine—we previously heard that, like Mercedes, Red Bull will have an advantage in the 2026 season—Mekies' comments seemingly don't inspire confidence.
It's no secret that Verstappen's contract with Red Bull is winding down, or that he has various exit clauses that are performance-dependent. If Red Bull isn't bluffing and 2026 gets off to a bad start, perhaps Mercedes' Toto Wolff will finally get Max on board...