Horner Refuses To Elaborate On Red Bull's 2026 Power Unit Progress Amid Ferrari Comparison

Wednesday, 17 January 2024 at 13:00

Christian Horner refused to elaborate in detail on Red Bull's progress with their first-ever power unit for the 2026 season.

Red Bull Racing undertook an immense challenge about two years ago when the F1 team made a decision to produce its PUs (power units) starting from season 2026.

As a subsidiary of an energy drinks-producing company, an argument could be made: Red Bull Racing has no business in producing its own power units and trying to compete with huge manufacturers like Ferrari or Mercedes.

Yet, the team from Milton Keynes made this important strategic decision, which Christian Horner believes will pay off in the long term. He recently told PlanetF1:

"It’s busy, there’s 24 months before that engine will be being bolted into the back of the RB22. It’s not that long in the engine world so there’s still an awful lot more to do in a very short period of time. But I’m confident that we’ve got the right people, and we can get there."

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Recent reports from it.motorsport.com suggested Ferrari allegedly already tested its 6-cylinder engine for the 2026 season. Asked where Red Bull stands in terms of this milestone, the team principal responded:

"We’re not going to go into detail yet of where we’re at, but we’re on a trajectory. But we’ve got a lot of ground to cover and a lot of ground to make up – we’re competing against manufacturers that have decades of experience."

What is a bit scary for everybody within Red Bull, as well as the team's fans, is that if the project fails, there is no plan B for the team.

If the team from Milton Keynes fails to produce a competitive PU, they won't be able to compete for the Championship in several few seasons. Horner added:

“Red Bull, 30 months ago, this project was still embryonic. So what’s been achieved in 13 months has been outstanding."