Helmut Marko claims Ferrari is behind Red Bull in 2026 engine development

Earlier this year Ford announced its comeback to Formula One as Red Bull’s engine supplier from 2026.

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko (Image credit: Planet F1)

Red Bull Racing continues its spectacular performance with an incredible twelfth consecutive win across all seasons. With an impressive record of 20 victories out of 22 races in the past twelve months, they are breaking one Formula 1 record after another. It’s evident that Red Bull has managed to nail the 2022 ground regulations and might continue to do so until 2026.

According to Helmut Marko, Red Bull believes they have matched Mercedes in terms of development for the new engine regulations in 2026. While he refrained from making a judgment on Renault’s progress, he did acknowledge that Ferrari currently is behind the Milton Keynes team. As for the team’s upcoming partnership with Ford, Marko expressed his satisfaction, stating that everything is proceeding according to plan.

“We are, we think, on a par with Mercedes in terms of development, I can’t judge Renault, Ferrari is behind us. At the upcoming partner Ford, everything is also going according to plan,” Helmut Marko continued.

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Also read: Helmut Marko assures Red Bull’s dominance over Ferrari in the 2026 season

2026 engine plans show promising results in testing, claims Helmut Marko

Max Verstappen RB19 at the 2023 British Grand Prix (Image credit: F1)

Red Bull and its world champion driver Max Verstappen recently expressed strong disapproval of Formula 1’s 2026 car plans. The team is in the process of working with Ford to create its first F1 engine. However, they have been calling for prompt action before the rules for the next-generation car are set in stone.

Helmut Marko mentioned that in the coming weeks, they would run the first complete unit, including the combustion engine, MGUK, and battery, on the test bench. He emphasized their progress on track. The proposed hybrid drive ratio of 50:50 is in line with FIA’s safety concerns. The batteries will weigh 100 kilograms, making the cars heavier and bigger. E-fuels usage will eliminate emission worries.

? Marko updates on the 2026 PU development race

"We are we think, on a par with Mercedes in terms of development, I can't judge Renault, Ferrari is behind us." ?

[@LAOLA1_at] pic.twitter.com/vVaFFPAt5l
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) July 28, 2023

“We’re on track. The fact that we are proposing a changed ratio in the hybrid drive is also due to safety concerns. The batteries will then weigh 100 kilograms, the cars will be heavier and have to be bigger,” Marko further stated.

Red Bull has been the team to beat this Formula One season. With the charge led by Max Verstappen, the Milton Keynes outfit is currently leading the constructors’ championship by 223 points ahead of Mercedes. After winning nine out of the ten races so far, Verstappen is set to secure his 3^rd consecutive world title.