Christian Horner remains convinced that Red Bull is on the right track with its brand-new F1 engine project for 2026.
Red Bull will use its own power unit from 2026, when the new engine regulations come into effect.
The team has established Red Bull Powertrains and formed a partnership with automotive giant Ford, aiming to become a full-fledged manufacturer and no longer rely on an engine supplier like Renault in the past or Honda currently.
This will be a critical period for Red Bull, as Max Verstappen‘s contract expires in 2028.
If Red Bull doesn’t succeed with its new engine, Verstappen might decide to leave F1 or switch teams. However, Horner is confident that Red Bull will rise to the challenge in 2026.
“It’s not just about Max if we don’t succeed! The whole team is involved in this project.”
Title: Red Bull’s Decisive 2026 Engine Challenge: No Plan B
“We are all very impatient in F1; we all want to know whether it will be good or not, whether we are on the right track. Everyone wants to be competitive. It’s a colossal enterprise. It’s a bold venture we have embarked on, but we believe it is the right path for the team and for the future.”
“It’s a tight program; there are only 24 months left before this engine is bolted to the back of the RB22 for 2026.”
“It’s not a long time in the world of engines, so there’s a huge amount to do in a very short time frame. But I’m convinced we have the right people and we can achieve it.”
“We’re not going to go into details about our situation just yet, but we’re on a good trajectory. We have a long way to go and a lot to catch up on as well – we’re competing with engine manufacturers who have decades of experience.”
“At Red Bull, this project was still in its embryonic stage 30 months ago. So, what has been achieved in 13 months is exceptional.”
As Honda will officially return to F1 in 2026, having signed a deal to supply Aston Martin, Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport consultant, confirmed this month that there is “no Plan B with Honda” for Red Bull if their RBPT engines are not competitive.
“Helmut is absolutely right: we’ve made our commitment, we’ve made our strategic decision for the future, and we need to make it work. No Plan B!”
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