F1 2026: Red Bull facing power struggle as Montoya drops 'inside information'

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Red Bull

Red Bull facing F1 power struggle as Montoya drops 'inside information'

Red Bull are starting a new era of power unit production in 2026

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Sunday 1 February 2026 08:57 Updated: 11:43

Red Bull F1 team may face a different struggle with their 2026 power unit than first expected, according to an F1 icon.

The Milton Keynes-based outfit are beginning a new era of power unit production in 2026, supplying themselves and sister team Racing Bulls in partnership with Ford.

It's after what had been a highly-successful partnership with Honda since 2019 came to and end, with the partnership having secured two constructors' titles and four drivers' championships with Honda power units in the back of their cars.

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Despite early concerns about the reliability of their in-house engines amid the new era, however, Red Bull seemingly had great reliability at the private Barcelona shakedown this week, which marked the first pre-season testing event of 2026.

Neither Max Verstappen nor Isack Hadjar suffered any power unit-based failures, according to reports of the behind-closed-doors test, while both drivers managed to top the unofficial timesheets on separate days.

However, seven-time F1 grand prix winner Juan Pablo Montoya has said that, with the new era of power unit production for the team, they have actually been more concerned about the electronic systems of their new power unit, rather than the reliability.

"I can give you some inside information," Montoya told AS Colombia. "I knew that the Ford engine in the Red Bull already had the reliability and power they were looking for.

"They were already there for a while and are more concerned about the electronic systems than the reliability of the engine, which would explain why they haven't had any problems in that regard, at least not many.

"They don't have the part of, how do you say it? Driveability, how well the engine performs, how smoothly the power comes in, how all the systems, the integration of all the systems is new, because they don't bring this from another team.

"One team, for example, Aston Martin is getting it from Honda, but Honda has all the information from all the last few years and they know how they have to function, how they have to pair all the systems," he said.

Can Red Bull challenge for the title in 2026?

During last week's testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Red Bull did seem to be in the mix with the likes of Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari, who set the fastest time of the entire week through Lewis Hamilton.

However, lap times during testing are not usually representative of what we see at the season-opening grand prix weekend, which this year takes place in Melbourne at the beginning of March.

On top of this, the lap times released from Barcelona were not 'official' lap times, with F1 cutting all their data feeds at the circuit during the first day, in an attempt to keep the goings-on in Barcelona private.

No one knows yet whether Red Bull can challenge for the title once again, or if they may encounter power issues like Montoya suggests.

But either way, it's likely Max Verstappen will be in the mix for race victories, with the Dutchman's supreme talents meaning he is able to adapt to new rules and drag performance out of a struggling car, as he proved in 2025 with the inconsistent RB21.

He has a new team-mate this year in Hadjar, as Red Bull seek to better their last two seasons, where they have finished third in the constructors' championship on both occasions.

F1 HEADLINES: Hamilton is back in P1 as Ferrari team-mate rings alarm bells

Written by

Sam Cook - Digital Journalist

Sam Cook is a talented young sports journalist and social media professional who now specialises in Formula 1, having previously worked as a football journalist and a local news reporter for a variety of different brands.

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F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen Juan Pablo Montoya