Horner on supplying power units: We want to walk before we run

Ever since Honda announced their departure from F1, after Max Verstappen won his first Title in 2021, and before they U-turned and registered as a power unit supplier for 2026, Red Bull Racing decided to go their own way and established their own power unit design and build facility.

While Honda decided to join forces with Aston Martin in 2026 - they continue to supply Red Bull and VCARB until then - Red Bull joined forces with Ford and Red Bull Ford Powertrains was born.

Ahead of the British Grand Prix, Red Bull arranged a visit to their power unit facility, revealing the work going on behind the scenes as they prepare for 2026, the first time the Red Bull single seater will be propelled by power units built in-house.

Horner led the visit which featured the first ever V6 engine built at the powertrains facility, and revealed an interesting yet emotional fact about it.

Quoted by Motorsport.com, Horner explained: "This was the very first combustion engine we made. The fire-up of this V6 was in August 2022.

"Dietrich Mateschitz was able to hear this first ever Red Bull engine just before he passed away. After his death we decided to label all our engines as DM, so Dietrich will always be at the heart of Red Bull cars," he added.

Red Bull confirmed that at full capacity, their powertrains division can supply up to four F1 teams with power units, which two more teams in addition to them and their junior team VCARB.

Horner confirmed interest in their product, but insisted they would be taking their time before becoming an F1 power unit supplier.

He said: "We have been approached by different teams, some are probing to see who will have the most competitive engine.

"But our focus is fully on the two Red Bull teams at the moment, because we want to walk before we run. If something might come up later, then we are open to the right partner," he maintained.

The Briton pointed out that current FIA power unit pricing rules meant that being a supplier is not a profitable exercise, which is another factor Red Bull have to consider before going down the supply road.

"Supplying an engine to a customer is a loss making exercise based on the FIA pricing. I now almost have sympathy for Cyril [Abiteboul]," he quipped, referring to his fractious relationship with the former Renault F1 boss, following the French marque's failure to deliver a competitive turbo-hybrid power unit to Red Bull back in 2014.

Horner takes pride in the fact that Red Bull, apart from Ferrari, are the only F1 team to combine their chassis and power unit divisions on one campus.

"We take fate fully into our own hands now," he said. "Apart from Ferrari, we are the only team in F1 to have the engine and chassis departments at the same campus heading into 2026. Even Mercedes has two different locations.

"It may seem an impossible task, but we think it has long-term benefits," the 50-year-old F1 boss concluded.

Horner and Verstappen have expressed concern regarding the 2026 F1 power unit regulations following early figures they have seen, but Mercedes boss Toto Wolff slammed them claiming they were in trouble with their power unit program.