Lawson hails Red Bull-Ford unit as ‘exceptional’ after early doubts

Doubts surrounded Red Bull-Ford’s bold engine project long before it ever roared into life. But just a handful of races into the new era, Liam Lawson is already telling a very different story – one defined not by uncertainty, but by surprise and growing belief.

When Red Bull first committed to building its own engine, the scale of the challenge was obvious. Transitioning from maintaining Honda units to designing a brand-new, complex hybrid from scratch was a mountain many thought was too steep to climb.

Expectations were cautiously measured at best, but the first-ever bespoke engine to emerge from Milton Keynes is proving that the gamble to build an in-house power plant was a masterstroke.

From uncertainty to 'exceptional'

Reflecting on the journey from development to the asphalt, Lawson is full of praise for the work done by Red Bull Powertrain and Ford’s engineers.

“I think it’s exceptional, to be honest," Lawson beamed when asked for his assessment of the new heart beating inside his Racing Bull.

"Obviously, we had some issues from Melbourne and unfortunately for Red Bull, they had a car drop out as well, but with new regulations, I think it’s not expected, but more understanding.

“As frustrating as it is for all of us, from where we were a year ago, we weren’t hearing amazing things and weren’t super-confident about it, and now we have quite a strong engine. For us, it really helped us in Melbourne. It’s extremely positive.”

Lawson’s confidence is backed up by the standings. Racing Bulls and the senior Red Bull team are currently locked in a fierce battle at the front of the midfield, sitting just six points behind McLaren.

For a brand-new engine manufacturer, hitting these heights so early is a massive win.

“We’re continuing to learn and find more performance, which is the goal through the season, but I think they’ve done a very, very good job,” Lawson added.

The art of the hybrid charge

While the Mercedes power unit remains the current "class of the field," Lawson explained that the battle for supremacy isn't just about raw horsepower – it’s about the wizardry of energy deployment and battery management.

The DM01 engine has shown a unique ability to adapt, even when the car is navigating tricky sections of the track. Lawson provided a fascinating look into how the team is optimizing the Ford-backed unit.

“We’re looking at everybody's deployment methods,” he said.

“But on top of that, when you have very different cornering speeds, it’s very hard to compare as well, because depending on how much speed you carry through a corner, it depends on how much you are charging the battery."

In a surprising twist, Lawson revealed that some of the car's struggles in specific corners are actually being turned into tactical strengths by the engine’s recovery system.

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"For us, there were a few corners in which we struggled, but it was actually giving us a bit of a boost down the straight because we were off throttle through the corners and charging a bit more,” he explained.

“Sometimes, it’s not that simple to compare, because you have to be doing the exact same speed through the corners to try to deploy the same as somebody else.

“So it’s quite hard to compare. Obviously, we’re looking at what everybody is doing. We have to try to maximise our own deployment depending on what we are doing.”

With the "exceptional" DM01 already exceeding expectations, the Red Bull-Ford partnership looks set to be a formidable force for the remainder of the 2026 campaign.

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