F1 Insider Chris Medland Joins Race Industry Week Live from Abu Dhabi with Exclusive Red Bull Update
Race Industry Week by EPARTRADE brought the global Formula 1 paddock directly to its audience as renowned F1 journalist and broadcaster Chris Medland joined the program live from Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, during the final Grand Prix weekend of the season – complete with a live news line from Red Bull Racing and a detailed look ahead to the 2026 Formula 1 rules revolution.
Broadcast from the heart of the paddock, Medland framed the intensity of the current title fight, dissected McLaren’s recent strategic missteps, explained why Max Verstappen and Red Bull still loom large, and walked the audience through what 2026 will really mean for teams, manufacturers and fans.
Live from Yas Marina: Red Bull Confirms Driver Shift
Medland opened with fresh news from the Red Bull camp, explaining the decision surrounding its driver roster for next season. Red Bull has elected to move one of its current race drivers into a reserve role, keeping him within the Red Bull family while reshaping the lineup for 2026.
He explained that, unlike past situations where a driver knew they were being replaced long before it was announced, Red Bull chose this timing to avoid a repeat of previous uncomfortable scenarios and to arrive at the finale with clarity inside the garage and a strong news hook for the week.
“Red Bull are the one team you never rule out from making decisive changes,” Medland noted, emphasizing that with this organization, “reserve” does not necessarily mean the story is over. With Red Bull and its sister team historically quick to react, he suggested that future opportunities could still arise mid-season if form or circumstances shift.
2025 Title Showdown: McLaren’s Pace vs. Red Bull’s Precision
From there, Medland turned to the three-way title showdown between Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri, setting the scene for a dramatic Abu Dhabi finale.
He highlighted two critical weekends that reshaped the championship narrative:
- Las Vegas – McLaren’s car ran too low and was caught out by unexpected porpoising and heavy floor wear down the Strip, leading to both cars being disqualified after the race. Medland stressed that this wasn’t an intentional gamble for pace as much as a misjudgment of conditions that hadn’t shown up earlier in the weekend.
- Qatar – Under early safety car conditions and strict tyre life rules, nearly the entire field pitted for a “cheap” stop. McLaren chose not to pit either car – a call Medland said was driven by a mix of championship pressure from Verstappen and a strong internal desire to treat both drivers identically.
In trying to be scrupulously fair to both Norris and Piastri, McLaren ended up hurting both, leaving the door open for Verstappen to capitalize.
“McLaren still has the quickest car,” Medland explained, “but Verstappen and Red Bull have been the ones executing clean weekends and seizing every opportunity. That’s what’s dragged Max back into a fight that arguably shouldn’t still exist.”
Despite that, when pushed for a prediction, Medland still backed Lando Norris to clinch the title, citing:
- A car that, on raw pace, should be strongest at Yas Marina
- A full, traditional weekend (three practice sessions) to get the car into the right window
- A circuit where Norris historically performs well
“If Norris delivers in qualifying and starts at the front, it’s still his championship to lose,” Medland said – but cautioned that if Verstappen takes pole, “all bets are off.”
He also addressed a fan question about team orders at McLaren. Medland believes McLaren will start Sunday with both drivers free to race – but if a late-race scenario arises where Piastri can help secure the title for Norris and is no longer in mathematical contention himself, he fully expects the team to make the call, and expects Piastri to play the team role.
The Psychology of Pressure
Medland also underlined the psychological warfare at play. Verstappen, he noted, has been very open in pointing out that he only remains in contention because of mistakes elsewhere – a simple statement that subtly shifts pressure back onto McLaren.
“When the guy chasing you keeps reminding the world that you’re the ones letting him in, that’s pressure,” Medland said. “They’re not mistakes by design, but the more they’re discussed, the more everyone feels them.”
Red Bull, by contrast, operates around a singular focus on Verstappen, with the entire structure – strategy, second car, and even in-race cooperation from other Red Bull–aligned drivers – built to maximize Max’s result. McLaren, he reminded the audience, is trying to compete for a world title while still actively protecting equality between its two drivers, which can blunt their strategic edge.
2026 Regulations: Smaller Cars, New Power Units, Big Risks
Looking beyond the showdown in Abu Dhabi, Medland laid out the massive changes coming in 2026 – describing them as “enormous” in scope.
Key shifts include:
- New chassis concept with smaller, slightly lighter cars, aimed at improving racing and making them more agile
- The end of the current ground-effect aero concept, replaced by a package with a broader operating window and more flexible setup options
- A radically rebalanced power unit, with roughly 50/50 power split between internal combustion and electrical energy, and simplification of some hybrid components
Unlike 2014, when the big change was mainly in the engine, 2026 brings both a new aero platform and a new powertrain architecture at the same time – creating two major areas where a team can either get it very right or very wrong.
Where Medland sees hope is in the maturity of the cost cap era. With teams now used to operating under financial limits, he believes there is a real chance the initial performance spread in 2026 will be tighter than in past regulation resets, even as different concepts emerge.
Red Bull Powertrains & Ford: The Biggest Wildcard
Medland described Red Bull Powertrains’ first in-house F1 engine, developed in partnership with Ford, as the single biggest unknown of the new era.
He emphasized the scale of the challenge: Red Bull has never been an engine manufacturer, doesn’t have a traditional road-car arm to lean on, and is building its power unit operation while also retaining its aerodynamic excellence at the front of the field.
“I’d be surprised if Red Bull is winning races straight away in 2026,” Medland admitted, noting that even with Ford’s battery and hybrid expertise, simply integrating everything, discovering weaknesses, and iterating takes time.
At the same time, he warned against writing Red Bull off: if they can start reasonably close to the front and then apply their proven development rate, the combination of Adrian Newey-influenced aero DNA (or its legacy) and Max Verstappen’s driving could put them back in winning form by the end of the first year of the new rules.
Cadillac, GM and the New American Era
Medland also addressed the entry of Cadillac/GM as a full constructor, calling it a “huge dual undertaking”:
- Building an entirely new F1 team
- Developing a full works power unit out of GM’s Charlotte-based facilities
The team will begin with Ferrari power while GM develops its own engine for a later debut, using this first phase to build manufacturing capability and technical depth. The structure will be spread across Silverstone, Indiana (Fishers), and Charlotte, deliberately bridging the worlds of F1, IndyCar and NASCAR.
Medland stressed that success for their first season won’t be measured only by results on paper:
Finishing 11th but closing the gap to the field and matching rivals’ development rate would indicate solid foundations. Falling further behind would signal deeper structural challenges.
About Race Industry Week and EPARTRADE
Race Industry Week, organized by EPARTRADE, is the premier online gathering for the global racing industry, bringing together series executives, team owners, engineers, manufacturers, media, and champions from every major discipline of motorsport for a full week of live, in-depth conversations.
EPARTRADE is the premier global business-to-business platform for the performance and racing industry, connecting professionals 24/7, 365 days a year through its online marketplace, daily newsletters, weekly webinar series, and annual Race Industry Week.
For more information on Race Industry Week and to watch the full interview with Chris Medland, visit: EPARTRADE.com.
