Horner jokes about former Renault boss: 'I almost sympathise with him'
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- Corwin Kunst
Work on the Red Bull Powertrains project is currently in full swing. From 2026, Red Bull Racing and their junior team Visa Cash App RB will drive with their own engines in Formula 1. Quite a challenge, but according to engine partner Ford, everything is still on track and their own targets are being met. Will other teams in the king class of motorsport also run with these power units?
In Milton Keynes, they have the facilities to supply a total of four teams in Formula 1 with power units. However, that does not seem to be going to happen as soon as 2026, if Christian Horner is to be believed.
"We have already been approached by different parties, some teams are probing who gets the most competitive engine. But our focus at the moment is entirely on the two Red Bull teams, because we want to learn to walk before we run," Horner revealed to Motorsport.com among others before the British GP. "If something might come later, we are open to the right partner. With the facilities we have here, we can provide four teams with engines. In terms of supply, that is not a problem."
Horner jokes about Abiteboul
Red Bull are open to supplying other race teams with engines in the future, but the formation first wants to ensure 100 per cent that everything is running smoothly with their own two teams. Moreover, according to Horner, different financial rules are needed for engine supplies. "With the prices charged by the FIA, even supplying a customer engine would be making a loss. I almost have sympathy for Cyril [Abiteboul]."
With his last sentence, Horner is referring to the former Renault team principal. Back in the days when Red Bull competed with French engines in their cars, the two were not exactly best friends. The Renault power units were anything but reliable and eventually their partnership did not end on good terms.
This article was written in collaboration with Kada Sarkozi