Red Bull have one lingering concern as Isack Hadjar admits ‘we can’t arrive too confident’

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Isack Hadjar admits Red Bull cannot be “too confident” ahead of the 2026 F1 season, as one question continues to linger above any other fears regarding their first engine.

Red Bull enter a new era in 2026, as the Milton Keynes squad have joined Ferrari, Mercedes and Honda in fielding their own engine. Audi have also joined the F1 grid in 2026 with a full works entry, taking the number of engine constructors to five after Renault pulled out of F1.

Hadjar has also replaced Yuki Tsunoda at Red Bull ahead of the 2026 season, having been promoted from sister squad Racing Bulls to partner with Max Verstappen in what is only his second year in F1. Red Bull have moved Tsunoda to a reserve driver role for their two crews.

Honda’s initial decision to withdraw from F1, before recommitting with an exclusive engine deal for Aston Martin due to F1’s 2026 regulations, forced Red Bull to build their own power unit department. Red Bull also struck a technical partnership with Ford to build their engine.

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Red Bull are concerned about the reliability of their 2026 F1 rules engine

Ford has supplied Red Bull with staff and equipment, as well as sharing the brand’s expertise in hybrid technologies. The engine project has largely fallen on Red Bull Powertrains, where there are ‘several’ lingering question marks about their engine ahead of the 2026 F1 season.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about the 2026 F1 engine and aero regulations

That is according to GPBlog, which reports that ‘chief’ among Red Bull’s engine concerns are fears about the reliability of the inaugural RBPT power unit, the DM01. Red Bull still harbour doubts about how their engine will survive when Verstappen and Hadjar push it to its limits.

Hadjar is well-aware that there are many unknowns about Red Bull’s engine project until the RB22 takes its first laps. So, after team principal Laurent Mekies admitted Red Bull would be “naive” to think they will be at the front of F1 in 2026, Hadjar has called for caution for now.

“Like the engine exploding, maybe. Something like that,” Hadjar told GPBlog regarding the fears about Red Bull’s engine. “Let’s see, but we can’t arrive too confident. It’s going to be things we didn’t plan that’s going to happen, and we need to stay cool.”

Red Bull will not hold a car shakedown before 2026 pre-season testing

GPblog adds that the Red Bull RB22 will not take its maiden laps with Verstappen and Hadjar until the first pre-season test in Barcelona. Red Bull do not intend to stage a shakedown with their new car unlike some rivals, with Audi the first F1 team to run their 2026 car on a track.

Audi recently held a filming day at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, where pre-season will start behind closed doors on January 26-30. Cadillac have also put their first F1 car through its preliminary paces at Silverstone, and Racing Bulls are due to stage a shakedown at Imola.