Christian Horner predicts ‘huge’ mountain for Red Bull Powertrains vs. Ferrari & Mercedes

Red Bull Racing took up the challenge to manufacture their powertrains from the 2026 season. While the historic project has been in motion for the last four years, team principal Christian Horner acknowledged the steep competition from Mercedes and Ferrari, as the rivals have been in the engine manufacturing business for the longest time.

The 2026 F1 season is expected to cause a massive shakeup in the pecking order as engine regulations are set to undergo significant change. The proportion of electrical power in the combustion engine will increase. Moreover, the new power units will run on sustainable fuels as F1 pushes the sport to be environmentally friendly.

Meanwhile, the Milton Keynes-based squad took up a bold challenge to set up an engine manufacturing unit in their factory in partnership with Ford. The team cut ties with their previous supplier Honda to become manufacturers.

However, the Bulls have zero experience with making engines since they are an energy drink manufacturing company. Moreover, they face steep competition from automotive giants such as Mercedes and Ferrari, who have decades of experience in manufacturing, and are engine suppliers to multiple teams on the grid.

Talking to Soymotor this week, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner acknowledged the challenges and competition in powertrain manufacturing and said:

"Ferrari has 75 years of experience making engines and Mercedes has 30 with HPP. The mountain we have to climb is huge, but with the right people and the right spirit, we can do it."

The energy drink-based outfit has reportedly invested a huge sum in setting up a manufacturing unit at their factory in Milton Keynes. Moreover, Horner earlier claimed that their ambitious project is on schedule.

Ford also resonated with Christian Horner's sentiments and set high hopes for the upcoming project. However, the 2026 season could prove to be a gamble if the Bulls fall short of expectations.

---

Christian Horner encouraged Jonathan Wheatley to leave Red Bull

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner [R] with Jonathan Wheatley [L] (Image Source: Getty)

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner made a startling claim on sporting director Jonathan Wheatley's exit. The latter announced his departure last year and will move to Sauber as team principal.

Talking to RacingNews365 in an exclusive last week, Horner said he encouraged Wheatley to fulfill his ambitions.

“I’m sure he’ll be an asset to Sauber. It’s something he has been ambitious about for some time, so when he got the opportunity, I encouraged him to take it. It gives opportunity to others here [at Red Bull] and is a good opportunity for him in his career. I encouraged him and fully supported him, saying, "Come on, go for it. You'll regret it if you don’t'," Horner said.

Apart from Wheatley, the energy drink-based outfit will also bid farewell to celebrated technical engineer Adrian Newey. The 66-year-old cut ties with the Bulls after two decades to join hands with Lawrence Stroll's Aston Martin.