Max Verstappen has nailed his colours to the Red Bull mast for 2026. Johnny Herbert isn’t convinced that’ll be the winning bet.
On the eve of the Hungarian Grand Prix, Verstappen finally punctured weeks of “Verstappen-to-Mercedes” chatter by confirming he’ll stay put for F1’s rules reset. The noise had grown louder with Mercedes yet to lock in a driver for 2026, but Verstappen was unmoved, stressing he’s been focused on Red Bull’s performance and next year’s plans rather than the rumour mill.
That commitment arrives as Red Bull’s aura fades. Over the last 18 months McLaren has wrestled control of the competitive order, and Verstappen trails Oscar Piastri by 97 points with 10 rounds to run — a fifth straight title now in long-shot territory.
Enter Herbert with the cold water. The former F1 driver and FIA steward doubts Red Bull will find instant salvation in 2026, when both chassis and power unit rules flip the table. “Can I see a bounce back next year? No,” he told a gambling platform, calling Red Bull’s engine project “a huge undertaking” and questioning whether a brand-new operation can match the likes of Mercedes straight out of the box.
Red Bull Powertrains’ tie-up with Ford is the headline act of the new era, but it comes with a workload few teams have managed at the first attempt: designing a competitive car while maturing a fresh power unit in-house. Herbert’s warning shot is simple enough — badges don’t build lap time, experience does.
They won’t be alone in the 2026 shake-up. Mercedes, Ferrari, Honda and Audi will also supply engines. Renault had been signed up for the new rules but walked away, with Alpine switching to Mercedes power and giving up full works status.
For Red Bull, the stakes are obvious. The team that defined the early 2020s now faces the flip side of dominance: the impatience that comes when you’re no longer setting the pace. Verstappen’s faith suggests he’s seen enough behind the scenes to believe the project will mature quickly. Herbert, like plenty in the paddock, needs proof.
The only certainty is uncertainty. New chassis, new aero rules, a radical power unit formula — 2026 is exactly the kind of reset that can mint a new pecking order. Verstappen’s staying to ride it out. Whether Red Bull-Ford is ready to fight from lap one is the question that will hang over Milton Keynes all winter.
