Will Brown's Underpowered Engine Issue Discovered by Red Bull and Supercars

Will Brown, a driver for Red Bull Triple Eight Race Engineering, has been competing with an underpowered engine due to an undersized airflow restrictor throughout the 2026 season. This issue was discovered by the team after 25 races, with the next round scheduled at Queensland Raceway from August 21-23.

The restrictor, which was found to be 1 millimeter smaller than required, has hindered Brown's performance, costing him approximately 0.15 seconds per lap. Despite this setback, he has secured one pole position and two podium finishes this season, while his teammate has achieved five wins.

Team principal Jamie Whincup expressed regret over the oversight and confirmed that the restrictor was supplied by Supercars for demonstration purposes only. Supercars acknowledged the error and is reviewing the situation to improve their technical procedures.