Despite the fact that the 2025 Formula 1 season has only just gotten underway, plenty of people are already looking ahead to the incoming 2026 regulations, and how they’ll shake up the pecking order.

One of those people is Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko, and he’s arguing that the Milton Keynes-based team is prepared to come out of the gate with a strong product.

Ford is keeping Red Bull ‘fully on track’ for 2026

While we still have most of a full Formula 1 season remaining in 2025, it’s no secret that one of the biggest talking points this year will be the impending  F1 2026 regulations — particularly, who feels that they’ve mastered them.

In 2026, we’ll see a massive overhaul of F1 machinery, featuring a battery-forward hybrid power unit and the implementation of fully sustainable fuels.

Further, the cars will be far lighter and therefore more maneuverable, while active aerodynamics will raise the stakes in overtaking.

Accompanying the changes will be a stunning five power unit manufacturers: Mercedes, Ferrari, Audi, Honda, and Ford. When F1 converted to hybrids back in 2014, Mercedes emerged as the strongest competitor, going on to win eight consecutive World Constructors’ Championships.

Naturally, Mercedes is expecting another show of force for 2026, but Helmut Marko doesn’t want anyone to count out Red Bull and its new partnership with Ford just yet.

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Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko spoke with Kleine Zeitung, an Austrian newspaper, about his expectations for the team heading into 2026 — and Marko had some key insight into how he feels the outfit will perform.

“It will be a massive change,” Marko said, acknowledging that the 2026 F1 regulations will create a significant shift in the hierarchy of the sport.

He continued, “Mercedes has already declared itself the favorite; everyone is in the game.”

But as far as the power unit is concerned, Marko says, “There won’t be much difference with the combustion engine. We’re fully on track, thanks in part to the help of Ford, and believe we’ll have a maximum of five kW less – absolutely fine at this point.”

A five kW deficit is quite minor considering the overall power unit package is expected to make around 750 kW. And the actual power output may not be the critical factor in performance.

“The big factor is the battery,” Marko explained.

“How is it cooled? How quickly is it charged? How quickly do you get the energy into the car?

“It’s all about the software, and it’s possible that someone is way ahead in this area.

“But we have good people, many from Mercedes, and we’ve bought the necessary equipment here in Graz from AVL.

“But nobody really knows where we stand at the moment.”

We won’t know until cars hit the track in anger at the 2026 season opener — but until then, we can speculate

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