Christian Horner calls Red Bull’s 2026 engine project their toughest test yet as they aim to rival F1 giants Ferrari and Mercedes.
Christian Horner, Red Bull team principal, admitted that “it will take time” to compete with Ferrari and Mercedes in the power unit arena, as the team works on building its own engine for 2026, collaborating with Ford on the hybrid component.
He remained firm in his belief that Red Bull Powertrains can “absolutely” challenge established manufacturers when Formula 1 overhauls its regulations for both chassis and power units in 2026, while acknowledging this step as “by far our greatest challenge.”
Expressing confidence in the project, Horner recognized the scale of the task ahead for Red Bull to deliver a competitive power unit from the outset in 2026.
“We have a massive regulation change; they are changing both the engine and the chassis in 2026, and we are building our own engine for 2026 in partnership with Ford Motor Company. It’s a huge challenge.”
“We will therefore face Ferrari and Mercedes on their own turf, as a Red Bull subsidiary, and this is by far the greatest challenge we have taken on across all sports that Red Bull is involved in.”
“But we have the right group of people, the right facilities, and, most importantly, the right mindset, culture, and positive attitude to say, ‘Look, we can take them on.’”
“It will take time, but we can absolutely do it.”
As the 2025 season approaches, with several teams expected to converge further in terms of performance, Horner joked that these regulations always seem to change when the sport becomes more competitive.
“Formula 1 is very good at this—it changes the rules just as things start to get interesting.”
“2026 marks the biggest reset in the last 60 years of Formula 1, with both the power unit and chassis undergoing changes, but it’s the same for everyone.”
“There will be winners and losers. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Everyone is already talking about 2026, but I’m certain no one will stand still in 2025. First and foremost, the focus will be on 2025, and there will still be some exciting developments to watch with these F1 cars.”
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Red Bull Takes on Ferrari and Mercedes in 2026 Engine Race Red Bull Takes on Ferrari and Mercedes in 2026 Engine Race
