Red Bull boss Christian Horner has confirmed that the deadline for 2026 power unit suppliers to declare their intent has been delayed for a third time by the FIA, with the new deadline set for mid-November.
Due to the 2026 engine regulations being “tidied up”, the FIA have opted to extend the deadline again, keeping the door open for Porsche to make a late bid to become an engine supplier.
“The deadline has been extended again,” Horner revealed.
“Until mid-November at the moment.”
READ: Haas will announce Mick Schumacher’s replacement in coming days
Porsche were set to supply power units to Red Bull from 2026, in a deal which would’ve seen the German manufacturer take a 50-percent stake in the leading team; however, this potential partnership broke down due to the Germans reportedly demanding too much.
Supposedly, Red Bull weren’t happy to give such a big share to the VW-owned manufacturer, who were also insistent that Red Bull employees have limited access to the power unit itself.
It’s believed that both Horner and chief aerodynamic officer Adrian Newey were unsure over the deal, especially with Red Bull having opened their own power unit facility.
The Austrian’s plan is supposedly to enter 2026 as their own power unit supplier, with the company having already fired up a 2026 prototype earlier in the year.
However, the re-emergence of Honda could see the Japanese manufacturer take a large role in 2026, even though, their new deal with Red Bull and AlphaTauri is set to expire at the end of 2025.
Horne explained to the media, though, that the Austrians are yet to formally lodge their entry to the FIA to be a power unit supplier from 2026, where the new regs will see the power units become considerably more sustainable.
“Not yet,” said Horner, when asked if Red Bull had lodged their power unit entry.
“It has been delayed for the reason that there are still elements regarding the governance and the regulations that are being tidied up. That affects everybody, not just Red Bull.”
READ: Lewis Hamilton’s engine cut-outs explained by Mercedes
More information will likely be released by Red Bull in the next couple of weeks, with the deadline having been moved from the 31st August, to mid-October, before being changed again to mid-November.
Audi lodged their entry five days before the original deadline, with the Germans having recently announced that they’ll be partnering with Sauber from 2026.
Porsche continue to be interested in a move to F1, with some suggestions that Williams could be a potential partner for them.