Formula 1, Sportrik Media - Former Formula 1 driver Jolyon Palmer has praised the turnaround in performance shown by Red Bull Racing as the team heads into the 2026 season following a challenging period during the previous campaign.
Red Bull experienced a noticeable slump in form midway through the 2025 season, which triggered significant changes within the organisation. One of the most notable developments was the departure of long-time team principal Christian Horner, who was replaced by Laurent Mekies.
Despite the internal restructuring, Red Bull managed to recover its competitiveness toward the end of the season. The team even came close to a dramatic championship upset, with Max Verstappen finishing the season just two points short of the title.
This late-season recovery took place while Red Bull was also preparing for the 2026 campaign, including the development of its own power unit through Red Bull Powertrains.
The new engine attracted attention during pre-season testing, with several observers noting its reliability and performance. Palmer was among those impressed by what he saw from the Red Bull project.
“They have done such a good job to turn up and be competitive,” Palmer said on the F1 Nation podcast.
“They’ve got a lot of resources, those other manufacturers. It takes so much to turn up and be competitive in what is really an engine formula right now.”
Palmer also highlighted the strong early performance of the Red Bull power unit during testing, noting that it appeared both quick and reliable.
“They were reliable, they were quick. Mercedes still think they’ve got the best recharge capacity, which means they can deploy more energy.”
“If Red Bull is even close to that level, it’s an incredible achievement. From what we’ve seen, they certainly look competitive in a straight line.”
Red Bull has also experienced several high-profile departures in recent seasons, including long-time motorsport advisor Helmut Marko, legendary designer Adrian Newey and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley.
The uncertainty surrounding those changes even sparked speculation that Verstappen could leave the team, with reports linking him to a potential move to the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team.
However, Verstappen ultimately remained with Red Bull for the 2026 campaign, providing stability for the team as it enters a new era with its in-house power unit project.
Palmer believes that if Red Bull remains competitive in 2026 following the challenges of the previous year, it would represent an impressive achievement for the entire organisation.
“So hats off to Red Bull,” Palmer said.
“The turnaround is almost complete from the fallout that happened before Christian Horner left in June last year.”
“With Laurent Mekies coming in, Adrian Newey leaving, several high-profile departures, and Max Verstappen even being linked to Mercedes, it has been a turbulent period.”
“If they are competitive this year after everything that happened at the end of last season, it would be an absolutely remarkable turnaround for the whole Red Bull Racing organisation.”
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