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Red Bull Racing has made a respectable start to the new Formula 1 season in Australia, though the weekend was not without significant hurdles. The 2026 season opener marked a major milestone for the team, as it was the first competitive outing for their own power unit developed by Red Bull Powertrains in partnership with Ford. Despite high expectations and solid base performance, Team Principal Laurent Mekies admitted that his pre-season predictions about their competitive standing were unfortunately accurate.
Red Bull as the fourth-fastest team
Following the race in Melbourne, Mekies confirmed that Red Bull currently sits as the fourth-best team on the grid, trailing behind both Mercedes and Ferrari. While the team showed promising speed—highlighted by Isack Hadjar qualifying in an impressive third place—their race pace could not yet challenge the front-runners. Max Verstappen also faced a difficult Saturday after a crash in Q1 forced him to start from the back of the grid, though he managed to recover to a sixth-place finish.
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"We had already predicted after the winter tests that we would likely only be the fourth team," Mekies explained to international media. "Isack did a very good job maximizing everything in qualifying. Based on the race, our pace was comparable to McLaren, but we certainly could not fight with Ferrari or Mercedes." This gap highlights the immense challenge of entering the sport with a brand-new engine program while rivals have established hybrid legacies.
Closing the gap to Mercedes and Ferrari
Mekies remains determined to bridge the gap to the leading teams, though he acknowledges it will take time. The team was not surprised by the margin to Mercedes, noting that they suspected the Silver Arrows were hiding their true performance during pre-season testing. Red Bull's focus now shifts to refining their new power unit and chassis to reclaim their position at the top of the hierarchy.
The goal for the upcoming rounds is to consistently challenge for podiums and move past McLaren in the developmental race. While the "fourth team" status is the current reality, Mekies emphasized the team's ambition and duty to chase down their rivals in the coming weeks. The team is looking for rapid gains in energy deployment and battery efficiency to close the significant margin seen in Melbourne.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
I. Hadjar
A. Antonelli
C. Leclerc
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