(Motorsports news) When its new Red Bull Powertrains division teams up with Ford in 2026, the Milton Keynes-based team will make its own power unit for the first time.
It also feels that it can be competitive given the effort it has put in to become a class leader, despite being fully aware of the battle that awaits as it takes on the power of manufacturers like Mercedes, Ferrari, and Audi.
With less than two years remaining, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner gave this reflection on how things were going: “We’re on a steep learning curve where we’ve got 70 years of disadvantage to Ferrari, but we’ve got a great group of people.”
“We’re treating the engine with the same mindset that we use for the chassis. With the engine, though, it presents a distinct problem. Thus, no warranties can be made.”
While Horner acknowledged that it was difficult to determine how Red Bull fared in comparison to its competitors at the moment, he believed there were some factors working in the company’s favor and others against it.
“There’s no knowledge of where anybody else is with these new regulations,” he said. We are starting from scratch without the advantage of an established engine to guide us. That’s a drawback from a cost-cap perspective.
“But, we also don’t have to worry about the present engine, reliability fixes, or other issues that need to be resolved there.
“I suppose that 2026 will be our best chance to see. But as of right now, we’re hitting our goals. And even though there are still less than two years left, I think our progress in the past two years has been quite remarkable considering where we were almost two years ago.”
The competitive order is likely to be altered as Formula One enters a new rules era in 2026, when regulations pertaining to engines and chassis will change concurrently.
Despite needing to concentrate on both the car and the engine, Horner is not concerned that Red Bull will fare any worse than its rivals.
“If I was going to back any team to get the chassis right, I think we’ve got a reasonable track record,” he stated.
“We’ve started a new project with the engine, but we have amazing individuals and a fantastic facility on our team.
“Certainly. Though what we’ve done is extraordinarily daring, brave, and ballsy, Red Bull wouldn’t have won 117 races and accomplished what we have without taking risks. And we think it will be worthwhile.”
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