F1 2026: Max Verstappen delivers huge Red Bull blow ahead of Australian Grand Prix

Photo: © IMAGO

Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen delivers huge Red Bull F1 blow ahead of Australian Grand Prix

Max Verstappen does not believe his team are ready to challenge for wins

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Saturday 28 February 2026 12:59 Updated: 13:45

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Four-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen has delivered a blow to his Red Bull team ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

Red Bull are beginning a new era of power unit production this year, with next weekend's Australian GP marking the first ever time a Red Bull has gone racing with a power unit produced in-house in partnership with Ford.

It's also the first ever year that the Milton Keynes-based outfit have started the season without long-time team principal Christian Horner at the helm, after he was axed last July and replaced by Laurent Mekies.

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During pre-season testing, the notes coming from Mekies, Verstappen and Red Bull's competitors were very positive, with Mercedes' George Russell even claiming they might be the fastest team on the grid.

Red Bull showed remarkable reliability during testing, especially considering it was the first proper run for their new power unit amid the regulations reset.

But now, just a week out from the first F1 race of the year, Verstappen has admitted his team will not be in the fight for the race victory in Melbourne, claiming they are not quite ready to be challenging the likes of Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari.

"We're not fighting for victory yet," he told Dutch media in a pre-season press event. "You have to be realistic.

"Nobody expected us to immediately fight for victory with our own engine at the start of these new regulations."

How long will Verstappen stay at Red Bull?

Verstappen has been linked with a move away from Red Bull in each of the last two seasons, with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff publicly pursuing the four-time champion's services.

However, Verstappen has reiterated he wants to see out his current deal with the Milton Keynes-based outfit, which runs until the end of 2028.

Ahead of the 2026 season, Verstappen even stated he wants to finish his career at Red Bull, but it remains to be seen how much that loyalty will be tested if Red Bull struggle to provide the Dutchman with a car that is capable of challenging for regular race wins and world championships.

He wants to stick around for Red Bull's new era, and the rebuilding phase that comes with it, but he will not be sticking around if the team are fighting in the midfield and unable to get themselves up onto the podium.