Porsche was pursuing a partnership that would lead it to brand the 2026 powertrain, currently under development by Red Bull Powertrains at its new Milton Keynes plant.
The deal would also have involved a stake in Red Bull Racing and a 50-50 split of the decision-making process.
However, in recent weeks the chances of the deal going through have faded and on Friday Porsche officially announced that talks with Red Bull have been halted.
Eventually Red Bull gave up on the deal mainly because it feared that its ability to react quickly to F1’s daily needs would be compromised by Porsche’s more corporate approach.
Horner insists that the Red Bull PU project has never been subordinated to the support of Porsche or other external partners.
“Obviously, as Red Bull will become an engine manufacturer in 2026, it has always been natural to have discussions,” he told Motorsport.com.
“These discussions ended and we came to the conclusion that it was not fair for Red Bull’s involvement in F1.”
“We committed to becoming a powertrain manufacturer a year and a half ago, or a little more. We invested heavily in facilities and people and the first Red Bull engine was started about a month ago.”
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB18
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
“This is therefore an extremely exciting new chapter for Red Bull, which has never been conditioned or dependent on any third party or OEM involvement. It has never been a prerequisite.”
Asked if a financial contribution from Porsche would be an advantage, Horner replied: “But only if it was in line with our DNA and our long-term strategy.”
“There was never a financial discussion. Porsche is a great brand. But the DNA is very different. During the discussion process it became clear that there was a strategic misalignment.”
“Red Bull has demonstrated what it is capable of in F1. And of course, as an independent team and now an engine manufacturer, we are looking forward to competing with OEMs in both powertrains and chassis.” .
Horner admitted that Red Bull remains open to discussions with other potential partners who may be interested in branding the PU 2026.
However, it is clear that the company would only consider a deal if it maintained a degree of autonomy greater than what it would have had with Porsche.
“We are completely focused on a Red Bull power unit. And if there was a partner who thinks like us and could make a contribution to the project, of course we should consider that. But that’s not a prerequisite.”
Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
“We will be the only team, besides Ferrari, to have the engine and chassis in a single structure, under the same roof.”
“We believe that for the long-term competitiveness of the team it is absolutely the right thing to do. And of course, there are other opportunities as well.
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