Max Verstappen shares his immediate reaction to hearing Red Bull’s 2026 engine for the first time

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The 2026 Formula 1 season hasn’t even started, and yet there’s already controversy surrounding next year’s ruleset.

Red Bull Racing have added their name to the list of power unit suppliers on the F1 grid, working alongside Ford.

However, Ferrari are already lobbying the FIA as there are suggestions that Red Bull and Mercedes’ new engines have a different compression rate to their rivals.

Which Red Bull driver has been treated most harshly?

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Red Bull have recruited a lot of staff from Mercedes over recent years to get the Red Bull Powertrains project off the ground, which might explain why they’re the two teams that are being called into question.

The nature of the new rules means that the engines are going to be more important than ever in deciding the pecking order.

Max Verstappen has now revealed how he felt when he heard Red Bull’s 2026 engine for the first time.

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Max Verstappen says Red Bull’s 2026 Formula 1 engine sounds ‘crisp’

Verstappen was asked on the Talking Bull Podcast if he had heard the 2026 Red Bull engine yet, and jokingly said: “It makes a noise!”

Asked how it made him feel, he continued: “I mean, it sounded good. It sounded like an engine.

“Of course, you hear it on a dyno, but it sounded crisp.

“I’m not sure they actually develop on the noise, but I mean it made a good noise.

“I mean, it’s not a V10, but I hope so [that it will sound good on track].”

The FIA has confirmed that Max Verstappen will switch to #3 in 2026. What would you pick as your F1 driver number?

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Toto Wolff has suggested that Verstappen will have an advantage next season when it comes to managing the electrical output from the new hybrid engines.

His simulator experience has certainly helped him throughout his career, and it’s something that Verstappen is taking more and more seriously as he looks to ramp up his GT3 career in 2026 alongside his Formula 1 duties.

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

Max Verstappen admits he dreams about making GT3 changes and not Formula 1

Verstappen made his endurance debut at the Nordschleife in 2025, winning his first race after securing his license in the summer.

It’s expected that the 28-year-old will continue his GT3 career in 2026, and Verstappen has shared who he would like to team up with at Le Mans if the opportunity ever arises.

Verstappen was asked what racing series he dreams about at night, and he continued: “Most of the time it’s about what I can change to the GT car in terms of like uh stuff that I want changed or optimised.

F1, I mean, I have so many people behind me anyway in the team that I trust, and they do their job very well.

“But of course, in the GT world, it’s a much smaller team. So, there are still a lot of things that I also still need to understand better and learn. So, I’ll do that in my sleep.

“I can wake up in the middle of the night with some ideas, and I do need to test them. So, I’ll wake up and turn on the simulator at 3 am.

“I’ll text my teammate, ‘Wake up!’”

That dedication to his craft is why Verstappen is such a powerful asset for Red Bull, as well as his incredible speed.

Red Bull know they need to nail their power unit going into 2026 to avoid Verstappen potentially considering his options in the F1 paddock or elsewhere in the racing world.