Red Bull anticipate 'big challenge' as key F1 2026 decisions loom

F1 is rapidly heading towards the start of a new era in 2026 when fresh technical regulations could see a major shake-up in the pecking order.

The cars will undergo extensive changes to both the aerodynamics and the power units.

Red Bull will enter the season with an engine built in-house for the very first time, having linked up with Ford to develop the unit.

The campaign will signal one of the biggest regulation shifts in the sport's history - but speaking exclusively to RacingNews365, Red Bull technical director Pierre Waché asserted there are elements from the current car that it can carry over to the new challenger.

“There’s plenty of stuff that you learn from this year that you will you could apply for next year,” he said. 

“Not the baseline of the car, it will be completely different - but everything you learn, you take it for the future, such as characteristic-wise, balance-wise, limitations.”

Next year's cars are due to be over 30kg lighter than the current machines, creating a significant challenge for the teams.

“We will have some big challenges and some choices to make,” Waché added. “Weight is one of them, the car will be quite heavy.

“But you have to make a quick car, not a light car. If you do the suspension and it gives you two or three-tenths, you do it even if it's one or two kilos heavier.”

Red Bull still placing heavy focus on 2025

Red Bull has endured a challenging campaign thus far, winning twice in the opening nine rounds while rivals McLaren have sealed seven victories.

It has had to rely heavily on Max Verstappen's points to keep up in the constructors' standings, with Yuki Tsunoda struggling to extract pace from the RB21. 

Red Bull currently sit fourth in the standings, and should it remain there, it would mark the first time since 2015 it has finished outside the top three.

Waché asserted Red Bull is still attempting to salvage the season, with the primary focus still on the current car.

“I think we are 30-70. 70 in favour of now [the 2025 car],” he said. 

“It is depending on departments, research and if we invest in the short term or more.”

With such a massive regulation change occurring, it has been theorised the team who builds the fastest car will have a dominant advantage at the head of the pecking order.

Waché conceded it is a distinct possibility.

“It's difficult to say,” he said. “I don't know what the others are doing but it could be a big difference between cars.

“When there is a new regulation, you just have to be in the right area, the right spot.”