Bernie Collins says Red Bull’s 2026 power unit is ‘way stronger’ than she had expected

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Red Bull’s new power unit for the 2026 Formula 1 season has been exceeding everyone’s expectations.

There were huge question marks surrounding the Milton Keynes outfit heading into 2026. 2026 marks the first time in their 20-year history that they will supply their own engines.

Red Bull Powertrains have worked closely with Ford to design the team’s power unit for the new technical regulations. As a new manufacturer, Laurent Mekies had a huge task ahead of him, but thus far, Red Bull have taken many by surprise.

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Johnny Herbert hailed Red Bull’s engine after pre-season, while McLaren CEO Zak Brown was surprised by Red Bull and their reliability during the tests.

Red Bull have prioritised performance over reliability ahead of the Australian Grand Prix this weekend, and Bernie Collins thinks the team have every reason to be confident.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links

Bernie Collins surprised by how strong Red Bull’s power unit is

Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar put in extensive mileage during testing, and it gave off the impression that Red Bull could be in contention in 2026.

Collins was certainly taken aback by the engine’s power, as she discussed in the paddock in Melbourne via Ted’s Podbook.

“There was a lot of concern about this new power unit from Red Bull, and I think that concern was shared throughout many people.

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“And from Max’s position and every driver’s position, the team’s is always selling the dream of how good the power unit will be, how good the car will be, they’re generally talking it up a little bit.

“So, now that he’s got that car to Bahrain, the power unit being strong is a massive bonus. It’s way stronger than I had expected for sure, and Max has got to feel pretty confident.

“If there’s any issues with the chassis, they’d be fit to sort it out. The power unit would be very difficult to get right, and they’ve done that.”