Ever since Honda announced their departure from Formula 1, after Max Verstappen clinched his first Championship in 2021, and before they reversed their decision and registered as a power unit supplier for 2026, Red Bull Racing made the choice to take a different path and establish their own facility for designing and building power units.
While Honda decided to join forces with Aston Martin in 2026 – continuing to supply Red Bull and VCARB until then – Red Bull formed a partnership with Ford, giving rise to Red Bull Ford Powertrains.
Leading up to the British Grand Prix, Red Bull organized a visit to their power unit facility, unveiling the work happening behind the scenes as they prepare for 2026, when the Red Bull single seater will be powered by in-house built units for the first time.Horner guided the visit, showcasing the very first V6 engine constructed at the powertrains facility, and shared an intriguing yet emotional detail about it.
According to Motorsport.com, Horner stated: “This was the initial combustion engine we produced. The ignition of this V6 took place in August 2022. Dietrich Mateschitz had the opportunity to hear this inaugural Red Bull engine just before his passing. After his demise, we decided to designate all our engines as DM, so Dietrich will forever be at the core of Red Bull cars.”Red Bull confirmed that their powertrains division can supply up to four F1 teams with power units at maximum capacity, which includes two additional teams alongside their own and their junior team VCARB.
Horner acknowledged the interest in their product but emphasized that they would take their time before becoming an F1 power unit supplier.
He stated: “We have been approached by various teams, some of whom are investigating to determine which engine will be the most competitive. However, our current focus is solely on the two Red Bull teams because we want to progress step by step. If an opportunity arises later on, then we are open to the right partner.”The British team principal highlighted that the existing FIA power unit pricing rules make supplying engines to customers a financially unprofitable endeavor, which is another aspect Red Bull must consider before venturing into the supply arena.
“Supplying an engine to a customer results in a loss based on the FIA pricing. I now almost sympathize with Cyril [Abiteboul],” he joked, referring to his contentious relationship with the former Renault F1 boss following Renault’s failure to deliver a competitive turbo-hybrid power unit to Red Bull in 2014.
Horner takes pride in the fact that, aside from Ferrari, Red Bull is the only F1 team to integrate their chassis and power unit divisions on the same campus.”We are now fully in control of our own destiny,” he declared. “Apart from Ferrari, we are the only team in F1 to have the engine and chassis departments located together on one campus as we head into 2026. Even Mercedes has separate locations. It may seem like an impossible task, but we believe it will yield long-term benefits,” concluded the 50-year-old F1 boss.
Both Horner and Verstappen have expressed concerns regarding the 2026 F1 power unit regulations based on early figures they have seen. However, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff criticized them, claiming they were facing difficulties with their power unit program.
Photo from Christian Horner Instagram
