Horner answers to speculation Red Bull are pushing for delay of 2026 regulations

During a media session the FIA held at the race weekend in China, Nikolas Tombazis, the FIA's head of single seaters, as quoted by ESPN said: "Certainly, the progress with sustainable fuels has led to the view that maybe the engines could be simpler. The world economy does lead to views that maybe we should try to cut costs a bit more, and the current power units are way too expensive, that is a fact."

"We would like them to be cheaper. And that's why the president made the comments about a V10 engine in '28 and so on. And that's something we are evaluating for '29 or whatever with the PU manufacturers. And we are discussing openly with them the best direction for the sport."

Now there also seems to be speculation that the 2026 regulations regarding the engines may not be introduced at all. "The proposal isn't so much anything to do with 2026, the focus is what we do long-term. What I want to say at the start about 2026 is that either way, whether we stay with the current regulations or whether we do the already approved new regulations, I think Formula 1 would be in a good place either way."

"I don't want it to be seen as sort of OK we are panicking about 2026, because that is far from reality," Tombazis added.

When Horner was confronted with the comments made by the head of single seaters, he highlighted the big committment that had already been made by all parties. "I'd be very surprised. It's very late in the day. There's a governance, there's a process, there's rules in place. And obviously on the engines a big commitment has been made," said Horner at the paddock in Shanghai.

Horner warns the FIA: 'Cinderella already left and it's 10 past midnight'

"But there's an awful lot of talk about the future, engines for the future and I think that there needs to be a game plan sooner rather than later of what does that road map, not just for next year but the next 10 years of Formula 1 look like. I think, as I mentioned in a press conference the other day, I think Cinderella already left and it's 10 past midnight," adds Horner issuing a warning to the FIA that time is running out for them to provide clarity on what's on the horizon for F1.

On whether he would be open to vote for a delay on the implementation of the 2026 rules to as far as 2027, Horner does not reject that notion at all. "I think all teams are all in at the moment on 26, so we'd have to understand what it was all about."

Of course, if a delay is enforced, Aston Martin would receive the Honda power units that Red Bull Racing are running now, but Horner is unfazed by this and looks to the future as a power unit manufacturer alongside Ford. "We have a power unit business now, we're running engines on dynos. There's been some speculation that we're pushing for a delay, that's absolutely not the case. We're geared up and ready for 26, so, that's our plan," concluded the Red Bull team principal.