Red Bull Racing begins the 2026 Formula 1 season in Melbourne with an important milestone: the debut of the RB22 and the new in-house power unit from Red Bull Powertrains-Ford in racing conditions. The upcoming weekend at the Albert Park circuit symbolizes the start of a new technical phase for the team.
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For Max Verstappen, the return to the track marks the end of a long preparation: “It will be great to get back on track and start the season, it feels like the preparation has been long so far and it’s exciting to finally go racing again,” he stated. The Dutchman highlighted the importance of the tests in Bahrain, when the car equipped with the new power unit completed several laps: “Seeing the car with our own power unit completing so many laps was very impressive. There were many proud faces seeing it head out onto the track for the first time and the team did a great job,” he said.
Verstappen highlighted that a large part of the development was followed in the simulator, which made the debut moment even more special: “We drove the car in the simulator for so long that when it was finally time to see it ready, I got goosebumps. Now it’s the real test.” Regarding the Australian round, he avoided predictions: “I don’t know how everything will unfold, but we learned a lot and worked to optimize the car in the best way possible,” concluded the four-time F1 champion.
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Promoted to the main team, Isack Hadjar will experience his first weekend as a Red Bull Racing driver in Melbourne: “I’m excited to arrive in Melbourne and start my first weekend as an Oracle Red Bull Racing driver. It’s a special moment for me and something I’ve worked for for a long time,” he declared. According to him, the preparation was intense, but the goal is clear: “To build confidence with the new regulations in racing conditions, work closely with the team and extract everything we can from the car from the first session to position ourselves well for the season,” he added.
Team principal Laurent Mekies highlighted the scale of the moment: “Melbourne represents a monumental moment for the team, marking the debut of the RB22, our first car built to comply with these new regulations and, very significantly, the first appearance of the DM-01 from Red Bull Ford Powertrains-Ford in racing conditions. We know there is a mountain to climb, as building a competitive power unit from scratch is one of the greatest challenges in our sport. But it is a challenge we embrace together. This upcoming weekend is the biggest step in that journey so far,” Mekies concluded.
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