"I think we've got a reasonable track record": Red Bull boss Christian Horner allays fears about the team's prospects in the new regulations

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has confidence in the Red Bull powertrains (RBPT) and believes they can succeed with the 2026 engine regulations. Speaking to media including Sportskeeda after the Chinese GP, the Briton is certain that their ambitious project for becoming an engine maker will achieve its results.

While the 2026 chassis rules are not out yet, the engine regulation overhaul is the biggest since 2014. Red Bull Powertrains, an engine production division created by the Milton Keynes squad, is a facility for the eight-time world champions to enter the manufacturer's race.

After Honda pulled out as a manufacturer in 2021, the Milton Keynes facility recruited several Mercedes, Ferrari, and Honda personnel. It will tie up with Ford Motors which will be responsible for their battery production.

According to Horner, when the chassis regulations are out, they are more than confident they will be able to produce the best one on the grid. However, on the engine side, he feels Red Bull are on target to achieve their goals. Known for their aerodynamic wizardry, being able to produce an efficient engine is one of the ambitious goals Milton Keynes wants to achieve.

Asked by Sportskeeda about their ambitious 2026 engine project and its potential, the Red Bull Racing CEO said:

“So 2026, we don't even have any chassis rules yet. But if I was going to back, you know, if I was going to back any team to get the chassis right, I think we've got a reasonable track record. I think we've got to take on a new project with the engine, we've got some exceptional people, we've got an incredible facility that I'll invite you all to come and see perhaps around Silverstone. And for sure, it's very bold what we've done and it's very brave and it's pretty ballsy. But, you know, Red Bull wouldn't have won 117 races and done what we’ve done without making bold decisions. And we believe that it will pay off.”

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Red Bull Racing are confident of their 2026 engine project

Christian Horner reckons that despite the disadvantage of the cost cap, Red Bull Racing are on point with their targets for 2026. While there are no guarantees, as the 2026 engine race will be a gamble with many engine manufacturers in the game.

Apart from RBPT, Honda and Audi will be the other two manufacturers on the list. Lacking prior experience in producing engines or having an existing engine to learn from, the 50-year-old feels the 2026 engine project comes with its own merits and demerits.

Elaborating more on their 2026 engine plans, the Red Bull Racing CEO said:

“I mean look 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 applying the same philosophy as we have on the chassis to the engine. It's a different challenge with the engine so there's no guarantees and there's no knowledge of where anybody else is with these new regulations. It's a clean sheet of paper.”

“We don't have the benefit of an existing engine to learn from and from a cost cap perspective, thats a disadvantage. But then at the same time, we don't have the distraction of the current engine and the reliability fixes and so on that are having to be dealt with there. So I guess we are only really going to see in 2026. But we are meeting our targets at this point in time and with just under two years to run, if I look at the progress we made in the last two years, from almost a standing start, its been impressive.”

In 2026 there will be six engine manufacturers in the game, making it difficult to anticipate who will come out on top. Similar to the Red Bull chief Horner, Toto Wolff of Mercedes is equally confident about his engine facility, the Mercedes High-Performance Powertrains, and their ability to be successful again in 2026 and beyond. The Mercedes boss also admitted to using the 2026 engine factor to lure Max Verstappen into their team for 2026 and beyond. Horner was quick to respond to the claim by shutting it down and suggesting that the Dutch champion will remain on their team until the end of 2028.

Nevertheless, given the volatility of the driver market, the 2026 engine rules are bound to be a key factor in deciding some of the bigger driver contracts for 2025 and beyond.