Why the Red Bull-Ford engine is the best
The Monza track has highlighted, once and for all and without any possibility of appeal, that the Mercedes power unit is the best on the starting grid of the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship. Yet, the FIA has instead declared that the Red Bull-Ford has developed the best engine, with the unpleasant consequence – at least for the Max Verstappen team and its fans – that only the Milton Keynes team is not authorized to develop the power unit in 2026 with the benefits of the ADUO system. A situation that Max returned to during the Thursday press conference of the Spanish GP in Madrid, which FormulaPassion.it also attended, explaining how the problem is related to the fact that the development concession system is based only on the power of the thermal engine without considering, instead, the electric part.
Read more Ogier in history: in Chile he will equal Latvala’s number of participations
Add FormulaPassion to your Favorite Sources on Google
Max Verstappen’s explanation
“The fact is that – the Dutchman recounts somewhat resigned – obviously, the performance of the thermal engine is measured and not that coming from the battery. So these are two different things even if, after all, the two parts of the power unit deliver almost the same power. And so yes, if only one thing is measured, then maybe we are very strong in terms of thermal engine performance but not as strong on the battery front compared to Mercedes. Obviously it is very difficult to know, but that’s how it seems at the moment. In terms of delivery, we simply did not have the same type of delivery as them”.
Read more Bagnaia has no answers: “Countless risks to go so slow. The engine brake has been strange for 3 GPs”
One thing also pointed out at Monza by Charles Leclerc, who had explained how the Silver Arrows managed to make the difference precisely on the deployment of energy from the battery. “I think it was quite clear – Verstappen adds on this – when I took the lead of the race. It was very difficult to counter them and I could only keep up with them when I was behind and had the overtaking mode active. So yes, we just have to do a better job”. “We keep doing it, trying to improve in every aspect, so in terms of car, engine, battery, everything. It never ends, it’s a continuous development process and we know what we have to work on, but it takes time”, concludes Max Verstappen. ADUO permitting…
