McLaren F1 boss Zak Brown is already worried about Red Bull

Zak Brown in front of Red Bull-drivers — Photo: © IMAGO

Formula 1

McLaren F1 boss Zak Brown is already worried about Red Bull

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has said Red Bull already look 'strong'

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Saturday 7 February 2026 17:00

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown appears to be worried about F1 rivals Red Bull already after the energy drink giants debuted their new engine.

Brown's papaya squad took to the track in Barcelona last month to test out their new car which has been adapted to adhere to the sport's new regulations cycle, with Red Bull and seven other teams also debuting their new machinery.

Mercedes were the winners where reliability was concerned after the Silver Arrows completed 500 laps at the Barcelona thanks to F1 driver duo George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.

Though it was seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton who topped the unofficial timesheets, Red Bull were perhaps the biggest surprise of the week, and Brown has now given his verdict on how competitive McLaren's rivals look ahead of the first round of official pre-season testing in Bahrain next week.

Red Bull looking 'strong' ahead of new F1 era

Last month's private tests didn't exactly go to plan for Red Bull or McLaren.

After Max Verstappen's new team-mate Isack Hadjar took an unplanned trip into the wall during the closing stages of day two, Red Bull's Barcelona shakedown plans were stalled as they were forced to wait for replacement parts to arrive from the UK.

Article continues under video

Piastri later revealed that McLaren had suffered 'a fuel systems issue' and even after the papaya team managed to get out on track for their final day, the Aussie star still hinted at problems with their Mercedes power unit.

Technical issues are to be expected at any of the three sets of pre-season tests this year thanks to the new regulations, but Red Bull's rivals appear to be taken aback by how reliable their first in-house power unit has appeared so far this year.

The RB22 is the first F1 car powered by Red Bull Powertrains, and has so far helped to establish that the energy drink giants are functioning well as a works team.

Speaking at the opening of the McLaren Racing Center in Indianapolis recently, McLaren CEO Brown made his feelings clear that Red Bull could be a threat to the papaya squad in 2026 as they look to retain both titles.

"The Red Bull engine was very strong," the 54-year-old admitted.

"I think everyone was pleasantly surprised. I'd rather them not be as competitive but [I’m] impressed with what they've done, because they came out, they did a lot of miles, and they seem to be very competitive."

When does 2026 F1 season start?

Red Bull and McLaren will be back in action when the 2026 season starts in Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix. The first race of the year takes place on March 8 at 3pm local time (AEDT) and 11pm ET. The first round of pre-season tests in Bahrain will kick off before then on February 11 until 13, and the second round continues from February 18 until February 20.

F1 Red Bull 2026 regulations Zak Brown