Ferrari accuse Red Bull of playing ‘a game’ with F1 2026 power unit boast

Ferrari principal Fred Vasseur has no interest in getting involved with the Red Bull “game” when it comes to progress on the 2026 F1 power units.

All-new power units will be introduced for that season, featuring a greater focus on electrical power while fully-sustainable fuel is used in the internal combustion engine.

That season will also welcome two new manufacturers, as Audi are joined in debuting by Red Bull Powertrains, in collaboration with Ford. Honda meanwhile will switch from supplying Red Bull’s two teams to Aston Martin.

Additional reporting by Sam Cooper

Ferrari dismiss Red Bull engine talk as “a game”

While Red Bull have been wildly successful on the chassis side, now closing in on a further title double in F1 2023, 2026 will mark their first expedition into the world of power units.

They are having no trouble at all finding their feet though, judging by advisor Helmut Marko’s assessment, who has claimed that Red Bull Powertrains-Ford are “miles ahead” of Ferrari and Audi in the 2026 power unit development process.

Vasseur did not want to give effort to a response, brushing off Marko’s assessment as “a game”.

“No, it’s a game,” Vasseur told a select group of media including PlanetF1.com when asked for a reply to the claim. “And I don’t want to make any comments on the situation of the others.

“We are pushing, I think we are in a good situation for sure.

“We always want to do more, to develop more, to be more in advance, to have more options and so, but it’s the same for everybody.

“And honestly, I will avoid making any comment on the situation of the others.”

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As for Ferrari themselves, Vasseur believes that rather than being behind, they are in fact slightly ahead of schedule when it comes to their 2026 power unit, confirming that the process is “going well”.

“For sure we want to do more, but as everybody on the grid, it’s the mindset of the F1 team that if you give to the guys something, they want to have more,” Vasseur added. “This mindset is very important.

“But we are following the plan and we are a bit in advance on the plan. All okay on our side.”

Ferrari sit P4 in the F1 2023 Constructors’ Championship standings, five points behind Aston Martin a position ahead.

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