Since the Austrian Grand Prix returned to the Formula 1 calendar in 2014, Red Bull has always gone big at its home race, which is the ideal place to make important announcements, in front of its home crowd and with more than 50,000 fans. Dutch who staunchly support Max Verstappen, linked to the team until 2028.
That is why it was important to know what it will compete with in the future, and it is expected that at the Austrian event, the energy drink team would confirm its alliance with Porsche as an engine manufacturer, one of the worst kept secrets in the paddock. The date was marked on the calendar because it coincided with the approval of the power unit regulations for 2026 by the World Motor Sport Council, but at that meeting, only “an update on the progress of the 2026 propellant regulations” was reported. , which must be finalized and presented before the next World Motor Sport Council meeting,” according to the FIA.
The next appointment to resolve the issue is scheduled for October, so we will have to wait a few months, although Volkswagen’s advisory council has already given the green light to the entry of its two brands, Porsche and Audi , into Formula 1 with the 2026 rulemaking, which will focus on sustainable fuel and MGU-H phase-out to simplify engines.
The regulations must be ratified before taking the next step, which is why the announcement of Red Bull and Porsche has been delayed, but it is worse for Audi, which is still not clear with whom it will enter, although it is expected that it will do so with Sauber, which runs the Alfa Romeo team.
Although a vote by the teams to approve the engine regulations is expected in a few weeks and before the next council meeting, the Formula 1 Commission is not expected to meet on Friday in Austria to confirm that the project keep going.
Asked about the delay of the 2026 power unit regulations and whether there was any concern that this could put off new teams, Red Bull boss Christian Horner said it was “just a process”, and that the technical aspect was “largely done”.
“These things always have to be a package,” he said. “You have technical, sporting and financial regulations that must be clear, in addition to what will be in 2026.”
“So I think what needs to be sorted out is all of that. It’s, to a large extent, so now it’s in the hands of the FIA, hopefully next week we’ll have an update from the Formula 1 Commission.” Horner said.
One of the main reasons that current manufacturers may want to delay their decision a bit is due to the development cycle that is looming for 2026, and the concessions that some participants may receive. The updated engine regulations will include things like a budget cap and help for newer brands to come in, allowing them to have more time on power banks and gain parity with current manufacturers.
A partnership between Porsche and Red Bull’s newly created powertrain division, which took over the power unit from Honda earlier in the year, would make sense as it would be “very easy” to do, in the words of Horner of the last April, but the concern of other motorists would be that if Porsche is considered a newcomer, it would benefit from concessions, while having the advantage of having the intellectual property of Honda/Red Bull Powertrains.
Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer , who has a special interest in power unit rules as the only Renault-powered team, acknowledged the rest of ensuring a “level playing field for both engine manufacturers coming in and what they already are”, and that it was “the part that takes a little more time”.
At the meeting of the Formula 1 Commission on Friday, between several teams, Formula 1 itself and the FIA, they plan to continue talks on the matter, but until full approval is taken for granted and the details of the 2026 engine regulations, confirmation of Porsche’s long-awaited entry, and the creation of what Horner described as an “astoundingly exciting” partnership, are still on hold.
