Red Bull boss Christian Horner has made it clear that his team doesn’t need Porsche to fund its project to make a power unit, and that if a deal doesn’t go through, the new engine could compete under the energy drinks name. , or that of any other manufacturer that is willing to pay for sponsorship.
The Briton also downplayed rumors that Red Bull could continue to participate in Formula 1 with Honda engines under the new 2026 regulations.
Volkswagen Group confirmed at the Belgian Grand Prix on Friday that Audi would enter the series as a supplier from 2026, although it did not elaborate on its plan to take over and rename the Sauber team.
However, there has been no statement from the other brand that falls under the German conglomerate, Porsche , and no clarification on when they will announce their decision to return to Formula 1 for the first time since 1991.
Meanwhile, Red Bull continues with the development of its power unit for 2026 at its new powertrain headquarters in Milton Keynes. The tentative plan is for Porsche to become a shareholder and for the engine to be named after the Stuttgart manufacturer, in what will actually be a marketing deal, with only a small number of Porsche engineers working at the UK facility. United.
However, the agreement has not yet been closed, despite the fact that the regulations have already been finalized and published by the FIA . The various sources indicate that there are still a number of key issues pending, such as future holdings and voting rights. Also, Porsche’s impending public offering is a complication in terms of finalizing any deal.
And what is more intriguing, it has been rumored that some in the Red Bull factory would prefer to stay with Honda in the long term. Although the Japanese officially left Formula 1 at the end of last season , they agreed to supply the Austrians and their minor team, AlphaTauri, with the powertrain until the end of 2025.
However, the latest statements from Honda suggest that they are looking at a full return for 2026 regulations with a new power unit. The obvious problem is that if Red Bull commits to Porsche then the Japanese firm will have to find another team, and Williams seems one of the few free options given that a return to McLaren would be impossible.
In theory, Red Bull and AlphaTauri could compete with different engine manufacturers, although that clashes with the company’s philosophy of sharing technology, such as gearboxes, and that is unlikely to happen.
A collaboration between Honda and Red Bull Powertrains seems impossible, as the Japanese have always sought to have their own development in Japan, justifying it as a training ground for engineers.
On the other hand, Honda withdrew from the series to focus its engineers on new road car technologies, and the R&D effort in Formula 1 in partnership with Red Bull in the UK could be seen as something consistent with the original decision.
Meanwhile, Porsche does not have a plan B to create its own power unit if it does not support the energy drink project. In case he wants to join forces with another team, like McLaren or Williams, he would have to rename the Audi engine that they are designing in the Volkswagen Group.
Horner stressed that, with or without the support of Porsche, Red Bull is fully committed to its own powertrain programme, having hired 300 people out of a total of 450, and that the badge on the new engine is not relevant.
“Obviously we’re going ahead with Red Bull Powertrains,” he said when asked about the situation by Motorsport.com. “They fired up the first engine before the summer break. 2026 is still a long way off.”
“We have a lot of time, and of course strategically we will have to do what is right for the team and for the company. Obviously that is between the shareholders, and there are ongoing constructive discussions with Porsche,” he revealed.
When put on the table about whether Red Bull could stay with Honda , he said: “I think for 2026 nothing is fixed. Red Bull Powertrains is built, we have over 300 people hired so that’s our path.”
The head of the Milton Keynes team indicated that, since the Red Bull engine project is already underway, there is no urgency to specify the name they will carry, while Audi had to publicly commit to its own programs.
“We’re not under time pressure, because 2026 is still more than three years away, so we’re not in a hurry. And that’s why constructive discussions are taking place,” Horner said.
In theory, manufacturers have to notify the FIA of their intention to be power unit suppliers by 2026 and pay a fee by October 15 , to be eligible to vote on any future rule changes, although the date is understood to be they are deciding it between the FIA and the existing manufacturers.
As for the October deadline, Horner noted: “There is a date, but that doesn’t stop a deal being done after the 15th, so Red Bull Powertrains will supply two teams in 2026.
The Englishman played down the suggestion that there is a debate within Red Bull about which way to go: “No, because nothing is going to change, because of the way the company is built, we have Red Bull Powertrains, which is going to produce an engine by 2026”.
“And the whole purpose for that was to have an integrated solution between the engine and the chassis, so that it was all under one roof, being the only team other than Ferrari to do it like that. That’s the plan,” he explained.
Asked whether the project could be named after Honda or become a collaboration with the Japanese, he said: “At the moment we are very focused on our own plan and obviously there is a lot of speculation.”
“It’s great that there are manufacturers interested in getting into the sport, or staying in it, but Red Bull Powertrains is committed, we have the facilities, the power banks, the capability,” he said. “We have recruited some of the best talent in Formula 1, and we believe we are in a very good place for the future.”
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