Max Verstappen believes the Italian Grand Prix exposed a significant Formula 1 engine performance discrepancy between Red Bull and Mercedes. After finishing third at Monza behind the Mercedes pair of Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, Verstappen said he felt like a "turtle" when battling the Silver Arrows.
The four-time world champion admitted Red Bull simply can't compete with the efficiency of the Mercedes power unit in terms of energy deployment compared to the Red Bull Ford Powertrain. Verstappen's comments came after the FIA officially confirmed that Red Bull had been named as having F1's best engine, as it made its results of the first two Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) periods public at the end of August.
The 28-year-old Dutchman insisted Red Bull "don't see the same numbers" as the FIA and revealed the team remains in talks with F1's governing body on the matter. "We are surprised as a team and we don't see the same numbers, so yeah, we're still in discussions with the FIA about this. We'll see what comes out of this," Verstappen said at Monza.
The FIA's ADUO ranking only takes into account the performance of the internal combustion engine (ICE), and therefore does not include the electrical side of the power unit and the battery. Verstappen was again quizzed on the subject ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix and indicated where he thinks the major difference lies in the FIA's calculations. "The thing is, of course, you have the measurement of the ICE, but not the battery, right? So it's two different things and at the end of the day, they almost deploy the same amount of power," he said in Madrid.
"If you only measure one thing, maybe we are very good on the ICE side and then maybe not as strong on the battery side compared to Mercedes. It's very hard to know, but that's what it looks like at the moment. We just didn't have the same kind of deployment as Mercedes and it was quite clear when I got into the lead," said the Dutchman. "It was very hard to fight them. I could only just stay with them when I had the overtake mode. So, yeah, we just have to do a better job and keep working, keep trying to be better in every aspect: car, engine, battery, all of that. It's never-ending, it's an ongoing development process. We know what we have to work on, but it takes time."
Further analysis reveals that this performance gap not only affects race results but also team strategy. Red Bull Racing must optimize every aspect to compensate for the deficit in the battery area. Meanwhile, Mercedes seems to have an advantage in energy management that allows them to perform consistently on tracks like Monza, which relies on top speed and fuel efficiency.
With increasingly stringent technical regulations, power unit development becomes a crucial factor in the championship battle. Verstappen and his team realize that improvements must be made across the board, not just on the ICE but also on the battery system and energy deployment. Competition in the 2026 season is predicted to be even tighter, and the ability to adapt quickly will be key for Red Bull to stay at the front.
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