Red Bull chief already thinks Mercedes have a ‘very large advantage’ for the 2026 Formula 1 season

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The 2026 Formula 1 season is a complete unknown for the 11 teams on the grid at this stage, but paddock rumours are tipping Mercedes to be at the front.

The Silver Arrows have had a history of getting regulations changes spot on, evidenced by the turbo hybrid era, as they claimed eight consecutive constructors’ titles between 2014 and 2021. The ground-effect era saw Mercedes regress, but they look set to bounce back in 2026.

Many believe that Mercedes will have the fastest engine on the grid with the new technical regulations. Their rivals will be looking to build a competitive car, including Red Bull, who will introduce their in-house power unit next season in collaboration with Ford.

Max Verstappen says Mercedes will be ‘very strong’ in 2026. The Dutchman was linked with the Brackley outfit earlier in 2025 amid doubts surrounding Red Bull and their project next season.

There is a ‘theory’ that Red Bull have given up on 2026, sparking major concern about their performance next season. The Milton Keynes outfit are hoping to return to the front of the field next year, but they already know that Mercedes are ahead.

Red Bull chief says Mercedes have a ‘very large advantage’ with development for the 2026 F1 season

Red Bull technical director Ben Hodgkinson told The Inside Track that Mercedes have a ‘very large advantage’ when it comes to development and testing. The team have been able to work on their engine for some time, while Red Bull have had to work completely from scratch as a new manufacturer.

“I think they’re likely to be doing well,” said Hodgkinson. “It’s a good company with some good people in it and they’ve got an awful lot of experience.

“I think quite a lot of the power unit is similar to the current generation. They were probably able to start testing way before we were, sure, that gives them a very large advantage.

“There’s something like over 20,000 components in a power unit. And normally when you go from one season to the next, you might design or redesign about 600 of them.

“But what we’ve had to do is draw every single one. And so that’s quite a lot of work at the beginning. So where we are now, I’m fairly confident that we’re probably developing faster than them. I think we started behind them, so it’s just this race into who’s going to be ahead by race one.”

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Ben Hodgkinson thinks confidence is a ‘real mistake’ for Red Bull ahead of the 2026 season

Verstappen will be hopeful that Red Bull can give him a title-winning car in 2026, especially after he committed to the team amid interest from Mercedes. But Hodgkinson says the team cannot be confident about the season.

“I’m definitely not confident. I think you show me someone that’s confident in this sport and I’ll show you someone that’s about to lose.

“So I think confidence is a real mistake because you don’t actually know where you are. But I think what I can be confident in is I’m confident in the support I’ve got from Red Bull, the support I’ve got from Ford, the team that I’ve built and the facilities that we’ve got.

“I’m confident in all of that, I think we’ve made the right decisions. It’s just where we are on that race, we’ll have to wait and see.”