Ford issues Red Bull engine update after Verstappen reacts to fire-up

Ford has confirmed that the F1 2026 engine, developed alongside Red Bull, is “to plan” ahead of its debut.

With Red Bull-Ford “hitting” its initial timelines and now focusing on engine “calibration and driveability”, Ford Racing global director Mark Rushbrook looks ahead to the upcoming first test with “some level of nervousness or anticipation” to find out where the Red Bull Powertrains-Ford project is truly at. Max Verstappen liked what he has heard from the engine.

Red Bull and Ford approach ‘important’ test

Anticipation continues to build for F1 2026, when heavily-revamped chassis and engine regulations come into effect. It is one of the biggest regulatory overhauls from season to season that the sport has ever seen.

Red Bull Powertrains-Ford is one of two new F1 entrants on the engine front, alongside Audi.

With Red Bull having taken the plunge by becoming an engine manufacturer for the first time, and partnering with American automotive giant Ford for the task, the F1 fanbase, and competitors, are eager to discover how this engine will stack up against rival creations.

The new update coming from Rushbrook is very encouraging.

“We are to plan, so where we need to be, but it all comes together when it’s actually in the car and on track,” Rushbrook told Motorsport.com.

The first test will be a behind-closed-doors visit to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya from 26-30 January. Two further tests follow in Bahrain on 11-13 and 18-20 February. Those will be open to the public and media.

“So that first day of testing is an important date, and an important week,” Rushbrook continued. “It’s when we get to see how all this hard work in the past three years is going to pay off.

“There’s always some level of nervousness or anticipation anytime there’s a new car or engine on track. Our computer tools are great for designing; our labs are great for evaluating and developing the hardware, and the calibration that goes with it, so we can simulate a lot in those environments.

“But until you get it all together on an actual racetrack, you haven’t seen everything. And it’s a question of what are you going to see on track that you didn’t see in the lab.”

More on F1 2026 from PlanetF1.com

What we most want to see in F1 2026

F1 drivers by age: From the oldest to the youngest

Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust.

Rushbrook confirmed that Red Bull-Ford’s “focus” has shifted as the first engine prepares to hit the track.

“It’s the power, the performance, the reliability, and then it’s the drivability, in terms of the software and the calibration

“When it comes to the timelines that were developed early-on in the programme, we’ve been hitting those.

“The work right now is the details of that calibration and the drivability, some of which can be done in the computer, some can be done in the lab and some in the simulator together with the drivers. That’s where the focus is on now.”

Red Bull’s four-time World Champion Max Verstappen will be hoping that the Red Bull-Ford engine – its performance potentially a major factor determining his future with the team – will put him in the F1 2026 title fight.

He confirmed on Red Bull’s in-house podcast, ‘Talking Bull’, that he has heard the Red Bull-Ford engine fired-up, and gave his reaction.

“It sounded good,” he said. “Of course, you hear it on a dyno, but it sounded, like, crisp.

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

“I mean, it’s not a V10.”

Verstappen will be partnered by Isack Hadjar for F1 2026, the Frenchman stepping up to Red Bull in place of Yuki Tsunoda, after an impressive rookie season at Racing Bulls.

Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.

You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!

Read next: Max Verstappen reveals what he wants from an F1 teammate