Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has admitted that the Austrians have “a lot of ground to make up” on Ferrari and Mercedes, ahead of the new power unit regulations in 2026.
For the first time in their Formula 1 history, Red Bull will become a manufacturer in 2026, with the Milton Keynes-based side set to produce themselves and AlphaTauri with power units.
Red Bull opened a special powertrain facility a couple of years ago specifically with the new regulations in mind, which are now only two seasons away.
Whilst they will receive technical assistance from Ford, the majority of the work will be conducted by Red Bull themselves.
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Considering they’ve never been a powertrain supplier, it’s an incredibly daunting task for the reigning Constructors Champions’, especially when they are up against sides like Ferrari and Mercedes who have been building F1 engines for years.
It’s the next step in Red Bull’s goal for total independence from any manufacturer, with Japanese manufacturer Honda being their current supplier.
Their deal with Honda expires at the end of 2025, with the manufacturer then switching to Aston Martin for 2026.
Despite the start of the 2024 season being just over a month away, Red Bull are working tirelessly on their power unit for 2026, as there remains “an awful lot” to do.
Whilst it’s a mammoth project that Red Bull are embarking on, Horner is “confident” that the Austrians will have everything ready in time.
“It’s busy, there’s 24 months before that engine will be being bolted into the back of the RB22,” Horner told PlanetF1.
“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.”
Horner is refusing to reveal just how much work the side have conducted and where exactly they are in terms of preparation, as the team aren’t ready to give away those details.
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What he has admitted though, is that whilst what they’ve already achieved is “outstanding”, they remain behind their rivals.
“We’re not going to go into detail yet of where we’re at, but we’re on a trajectory,” Horner added.
“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. Red Bull, 30 months ago, this project was still embryonic. So what’s been achieved in 13 months has been outstanding.”