Mercedes boss delivers brutal verdict on expectations from Red Bull's power unit in 2026

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has quashed any suggestions that the Red Bull power unit would be anywhere close to being the benchmark in F1 in 2026. The Austrian feels that the Milton Keynes facility is competing against manufacturers with far more experience, and it is going to take some time before they can catch up.

For Red Bull, soon after Honda announced that it was going to leave F1 at the end of the 2021 season, the Austrian brand decided that it was going to build its own engine for the next regulation set. The team had been caught on the wrong foot in 2014 as well when the power unit supplier Renault produced an uncompetitive engine, and hence the team couldn't compete with Mercedes at the front.

The program was run by Christian Horner since its inception, and it involved Red Bull Powertrain poaching quite a few key personnel from Mercedes as well. With the new regulations coming into effect in 2026, this is the first test for the facility even though Horner is not there anymore.

Toto Wolff, however, feels that the squad might not be ready for the challenge. Comparing the process and proficiency of building a power unit to climbing Mount Everest, the Austrian told the Telegraph,

"No, that won't work at all. With this project, it's like they're climbing Mount Everest. Because they're up against manufacturers with decades of experience. But everyone used to joke when Red Bull entered the sport, too."

He added,

"Like: as if an energy drink manufacturer could compete with Ferrari, Mercedes, and McLaren. Well, they've won quite a bit. But given the complexity of the engines, I think it will be a huge challenge for them."

Mercedes boss addresses leaked pictures with Max Verstappen and family during the summer break

The summer break and before that has seen Toto Wolff and his wife, Susie Wolff, being clicked with Max Verstappen and Kelly Piquet on their yacht. There were seemingly a few AI-generated photos of the team boss as well that had spread all across social media. The Austrian, however, shrugged off the leaked photos as he quipped,

"My own interests aren't with the average social media user, let's put it that way. I focus more on adults. But to a certain extent, I watch it with amusement. So much is happening these days with AI and deepfakes."

He added,

"I think there are even pornographic films of me, at least with my head pasted on. But as long as a good body is used and I perform well in the scenes, I don't mind. More seriously: a social media storm about Formula 1 is still better than no one being interested."

If reports are to be believed, Mercedes is expected to have the best power unit for 2026, and if that is the case, the team would be hoping to gain an advantage on the chassis side as well, as teams like McLaren, Alpine, and Williams would be fitted with the same power unit.