During the first week of Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain for the 2026 regulations, Mercedes-powered teams highlighted Red Bull's new engine as the benchmark. Red Bull's technical director Pierre Wache downplayed this, placing his team fourth behind Ferrari, Mercedes, and McLaren. The praise appears partly political amid discussions on energy management and potential sandbagging.
The 2026 Formula 1 season introduces new regulations, making early testing focused on reliability and energy management rather than outright lap times. Toto Wolff, Mercedes team principal, stated on the first day in Bahrain that Red Bull is 'the benchmark' and that Mercedes 'could not match it'. This view was echoed by other Mercedes-powered teams, singling out Red Bull's performance.
Red Bull's Pierre Wache countered by ranking his team fourth, behind Ferrari, Mercedes, and McLaren, noting Charles Leclerc's consistent longer runs for Ferrari. Leclerc, in response, did not see Ferrari as favorites and pointed to Mercedes and Red Bull as faster teams. McLaren's Oscar Piastri emphasized the importance of energy management, saying, 'The difference between getting these things right and wrong is not a few hundredths of a second or even a few tenths of a second, it's a lot. It's upwards of half a second sometimes, if it goes really wrong.'
Max Verstappen labeled Wolff's praise as 'diversion tactics' and accused Mercedes of 'extreme sandbagging', predicting, 'Just wait until Melbourne and see how much power they suddenly find.' He dismissed Wolff's claim on a compression ratio loophole yielding only two to three horsepower, laughing, 'You definitely have to add a zero to that! And maybe even more.' Leclerc added that Mercedes is good at 'hiding things' to avoid drawing FIA attention that could lead to engine interventions.
Data from Wednesday's session showed Verstappen achieving higher top speeds on the start-finish straight compared to rivals. However, Wache noted Red Bull started well in energy management but others have caught up, attributing their early edge to quicker simulations. Internally, Red Bull junior driver Isack Hadjar expressed surprise at the engine's reliability, completing 110 laps on the first day in Barcelona and stating, 'It's way beyond what I anticipated.' Wache praised the engine team: 'I’m surprised that the engine people did a fantastic job... to be able, as a start-up, to make an engine and not be stupid on the track is a massive achievement.'
Overall, the praise carries political undertones as teams avoid appearing as favorites early on, with Red Bull's DM01 engine demonstrating better-than-expected reliability after Bahrain's first week.