Ferrari and Red Bull privately express growing concerns over 2026 F1 engine. Max Verstappen is weighing his future at Red Bull as concerns grow over their 2026 F1 power unit.

Max Verstappen concerned by Ferrari and Red Bull’s 2026 power unit fears as Mercedes looks increasingly strong

In theory, Max Verstappen should be firmly committed to continuing his dominant run with Red Bull Racing well into the 2026 Formula 1 season and beyond.

The Dutch driver has captured four consecutive World Championship titles with the Milton Keynes-based outfit and remains under contract with the team until the end of the 2028 campaign. However, despite the long-term deal, growing speculation around the Formula 1 paddock suggests that Verstappen may consider leaving Red Bull as early as the end of the 2025 season.

While Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has made it clear that the door is open for Verstappen, should he decide to pursue a new challenge, Aston Martin has also been mentioned as a potential landing spot. Although a switch to Aston Martin seems less likely at this stage, the mere existence of multiple options reflects the growing uncertainty surrounding Red Bull’s future competitiveness under the new 2026 regulations.

The major catalyst behind this speculation is rooted in Red Bull’s transition to manufacturing its own engine from 2026 onwards. This marks the team’s first foray into full power unit development, and the departure of chief technical officer Adrian Newey has only added to the growing concerns. Verstappen’s camp is reportedly unconvinced that Newey’s successor, Pierre Wache, is the right individual to lead Red Bull into the next regulatory era.

Concerns over Red Bull’s 2026 engine project have not remained confined within the team. According to reports from the Nailing The Apex Podcast, journalists Nelson Valkenburg and Tim Hauraney revealed that both Ferrari and Red Bull have recently raised internal concerns about the competitiveness of their upcoming power units, particularly when compared to Mercedes.

One of the focal points of the discussion was a proposed system of “tokens” that might be introduced to allow engine manufacturers who fall below a certain performance threshold to carry out additional development in an attempt to catch up. Valkenburg clarified that this idea did not originate from the Mercedes camp, which is widely rumored to have built the most competitive engine for the 2026 season based on current behind-the-scenes assessments within the paddock.

According to Valkenburg, it was Ferrari and Red Bull who were reportedly advocating for the introduction of this measure, signaling that both teams may already be feeling pressure about their relative positions ahead of the next major regulatory overhaul. This situation has reportedly alarmed Max Verstappen, with private discussions indicating that he has started to question not just the pure power output of the Red Bull 2026 unit, but also its drivability and reliability — two essential factors for consistent race-day performance.

The Dutch star is believed to be weighing whether Red Bull’s upcoming powertrain can genuinely compete with what Mercedes and Ferrari are developing. As Verstappen considers the next phase of his Formula 1 career, the ability of his team to deliver a competitive and dependable engine will likely be central to his decision-making process. According to Valkenburg, Verstappen’s entourage understands that keeping the reigning World Champion satisfied will be key to convincing him to commit long-term — and that concern over Red Bull’s power unit program could be pushing him closer to Mercedes.

The wider picture across the Formula 1 grid reinforces just how high the stakes are for 2026. Should Mercedes confirm its rumored power unit advantage, the remaining seven teams could find themselves playing catch-up. McLaren has already demonstrated this year that a customer team can outperform its factory supplier, and the likes of Williams and Alpine — who are joining forces — will also aim to be competitive against the Silver Arrows.

Elsewhere, Red Bull and sister team Racing Bulls will rely heavily on the success of Red Bull Powertrains, while Ferrari will be supplying both Haas and the incoming Cadillac project. Aston Martin has committed to continuing its partnership with Honda, and Audi will take full control of Sauber to enter the championship as an official works team.

Privately, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko is reported to have expressed concerns about the development trajectory of the 2026 power unit. Given the expectation that the new regulations will place greater emphasis on engine performance than any recent ruleset, these internal doubts are particularly significant.

To compound matters, whispers have circulated suggesting that Ferrari’s engine might even be outperformed by Audi’s power unit — a troubling prospect considering Audi has yet to compete in a single Grand Prix.

All these issues are reportedly factoring into Max Verstappen’s strategic considerations. While switching teams in 2026 is still a gamble, staying at Red Bull for one more season and observing how the new regulations shake out could be the safest course of action.

In that scenario, Verstappen would be able to evaluate whether Red Bull’s first in-house engine can rise to the challenge, or whether a move to a team like Mercedes would provide a better opportunity to extend his dominance into the sport’s next era.