Red Bull Downplay Altitude Fears After Hadjar's Mexico PU Scare

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has confirmed Isack Hadjar's power unit problem in Mexico City FP1 was not altitude-related, but warned that every team will be forced into compromises that could scramble the order this weekend.

Why it matters:

The 2026 power units split their output roughly 50/50 between combustion and electrical energy, making the thin air of the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez a genuine stress test. Turbo behaviour, cooling and energy recovery all shift at altitude, so outright pace in Mexico may not reflect the real hierarchy.

The details:

• Hadjar stopped early in FP1 with a PU issue before rejoining, ending the session 11th, 1.417s off Charles Leclerc's pace-setting Ferrari and behind Red Bull reserve Ayumu Iwasa.
• Mekies played down the cause: "There have been no unfortunate issues so far related to the altitude. We did have a PU issue with Isack and lost a bit of track time, but the guys did a very good job and managed to send him back on track."
• He expects sacrifices on both sides of the car — "PU side for the altitude, chassis side for the temperature" — with all 11 teams prioritising survival over pure speed.

What's next:

Mekies is braced for a "one-off" pecking order: "We don't really have an idea whether we will have an advantage or a deficit this weekend." Later sessions should reveal which team has managed the trade-offs best.