Red Bull Motorsports
F1
Has Max Verstappen outsmarted the new F1 hybrid system?
From this season onwards, the electric component of a Formula One car’s power unit will play a bigger role than ever. Here are some of the tricks Max Verstappen is using to handle the new era.
Under the new F1 regulations, electric power will make up a much larger proportion of a car’s overall performance, meaning energy harvesting and deployment will become crucial across every lap. As the 2026 season gets underway, Max Verstappen has already been showing how he's adapting to the changes.
01
The new era of Formula One has arrived
From this season, Formula One cars will rely much more on electric power, meaning drivers must now manage energy very carefully throughout the race.
The battery still needs to be recharged. As in road cars, most of this happens under braking, when energy that would otherwise be lost is recovered. But acceleration out of corners also plays a role, as the engine running at high revs allows the electric system to generate additional energy. It was here that Verstappen spotted an opportunity.
Verstappen negotiates a turn at the season opener in Australia
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
02
Shifting gears is the key to success
The gear used through a corner determines how quickly a driver can accelerate out of it – a principle familiar to every racing driver – but the four-time world champion spotted an advantage. During pre-season testing in Bahrain, Verstappen took a different approach at slow corners, such as Turn 10, downshifting to first gear while most drivers stayed in second.
This technique lets him exit corners with higher engine revs, allowing the battery to recharge faster and electric power to be deployed sooner on the straight. With drivers switching between Boost and Recharge modes, the advantage could be significant: quicker charging, longer full-power deployment and less time spent lift-and-coasting.
03
A car you can trust
The Oracle Red Bull Racing RB22 is the team’s first car powered by a new engine developed with Ford. The American manufacturer contributed hybrid expertise, produced key components and introduced new 3D-printing techniques and software to speed up development and improve simulator accuracy.
Beneath the livery runs the first-ever ORBR-made engine
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
All of this translated into new opportunities for testing different ideas, enabling Verstappen to test his concept of 'over-reducing' gears and see what – if any – benefits it offers. Not everything can be tested in theory, however.
Pre-season testing suggested the approach works, though higher engine revs also mean greater mechanical stress and a higher risk of failure. There are paddock reports that the RB22 – particularly its engine – was designed with this strategy in mind to handle the extra load. Whether that proves true remains to be seen, but Oracle Red Bull Racing are certainly known for having bold technical ideas.
04
How did it work out in Melbourne?
An unfortunate crash in qualifying meant that Verstappen started the opening race of the season in Australia down in P20. After quickly moving up five places at the start, he then carved through the field efficiently to ultimately finish sixth, claiming the fastest lap and the 'Driver of the Day' vote on the way.
“The first laps were pretty hectic and we just needed to stay out of trouble,” he said at the finish. “Overall, the team still did a great job: it was a decent comeback from P20 and we will work as a team to close the gap further.”
The Dutchman made light work of the field to rise to sixth place
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
Based on that evidence, the Dutchman's tactics seem to be paying off, and it will be interesting to see how he fares from nearer the front as the season progresses.
