Red Bull commended by F1 rival: 'That can't be underestimated'

Williams F1 boss James Vowles has commended rivals Red Bull for producing its own power unit for the sport's new era.

Red Bull declared its intention to construct its own engine for the 2026 season several years ago after Honda announced its exit from the grid.

The power unit has been built in collaboration with Ford and tallied almost 180 laps across the opening two days at the Barcelona shakedown.

The test event is not being attended by Williams, who is on schedule to be present in Bahrain for the next test in two weeks.

Despite not having a car on the track, Vowles asserted the Grove-based squad is keeping tuned into what is happening.

“Yes, I have boots on the ground and individuals there,” Vowles told select media including RacingNews365.

“It won't be a surprise to any of you, but I actually think we're set up for a good championship.

“I think Mercedes is doing well out of the box, running to the timetable they said they would, to the amount of mileage they said they would.

“It’s very impressive from the get-go.”

Mercedes tallied impressive mileage on Monday and Wednesday in Barcelona, signalling a strong start to the new year for the Brackley-based squad.

But with a brand-new Red Bull power unit hitting the track without any major mechanical hiccups, Vowles tipped his hat to the achievement.

“Equally, Red Bull, given they produced a power unit from scratch, that really cannot be underestimated.

“They did a brilliant job in the number of laps they completed. Finally there’s Ferrari, which is exactly the same thing, again.

“Pretty impressive from the get-go, but your times in Barcelona are going to be largely irrelevant. It's really only in Bahrain that you'll start to see it.”