Red Bull's engine development is 'a ballsy undertaking', feels F1 team honcho Christian Horner

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has said that the team's decision to go independent and develop its own power unit is "a ballsy undertaking".

Red Bull have a customer team since its partnerships with partners like Ferrari, Renault and Honda. Honda's untimely exit and the struggles with the uncompetitive Renault power unit during the Turbo-Hybrid era prompted the Austrian team to initiate a new facility named "Red Bull Powertrains".

For the 2026 F1 regulations, Red Bull will go up against arguably five other automotive giants: Mercedes, Ferrari, VW, Renault and Honda. Accentuating the magnitude of the task awaiting the team, Horner, talking to motorsport magazine, said:

“I think (what’s next is) to keep delivering, to keep developing the team and the business here. And I think the next massive challenge for us is the powertrains. I mean, we’ve got a start-up engine company taking on Ferrari, Mercedes, Alpine, VW Group, so that is a massive challenge. We’ve got 150 weeks left before we have an engine driving out of a pit lane for the first time in the back of a Red Bull car."

He added:

"So that focuses the mind; it’s a big challenge. It’s a ballsy undertaking, to think that an independent team can take on those type of manufacturers. But again, it comes down to the same culture, the same approach that we’ve had to going racing on the chassis side, and ultimately having everything under one roof and the benefits that brings long-term is significant. So that’s taking quite a bit of my time and attention just to make sure that we’re hitting our targets in that area.”

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Red Bull partnering with Ford for 2026 F1 regulations

The Austrian team has announced a partnership with Ford for the 2026 F1 regulations.

The American automotive will be involved in the development of the electric and hybrid part of the power unit. The 2026 power unit is supposed to rely on 50% power from the electric part as compared to a much smaller chunk in the current regulations.

It's a major undertaking by both Ford and Red Bull. The Austrian brand has not been involved in an engine programme before and with the levels at which it is operating right now, the team will hope for the best for the 2026 season.