P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Red Bull claim adds further confusion to already-murky F1 2026 pecking order.
Heading into the 2026 F1 season, there is a lot of uncertainty about who will be the fastest, with mind games being played among the teams.
Mercedes expressed concern about losing time to rivals due to Red Bull’s new power unit, but then set the fastest time in testing.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen accused Mercedes of sandbagging, while their technical director downplayed their own performance, placing Ferrari, Mercedes, and McLaren ahead.
The competitive picture for the 2026 F1 season is unclear, with Red Bull, McLaren, and Aston Martin all suggesting they may be behind Ferrari and Mercedes.
Ultimately, it remains to be seen who will come out on top once the season gets underway in Melbourne.
