F1 | Wolff: “Red Bull engineer on his own? A bold choice”

On the occasion of the Monza weekend, the paddock was blown away by the news of the interruption of negotiations between Red Bull and Porsche. The two brands should have worked together for the 2026 power unit project and this stop has effectively left Audi as the only Volkswagen Group brand present on the starting grid when the new regulations come into force.

Red Bull Powertrains will continue to carry out the project independently, while remaining open to future collaboration with a third party. Milton Keynes team principal Christian Horner has indicated that collaboration with Honda could be a possibility, especially when it comes to battery technology.

Toto Wolff was the one who said he was sorry for the interruption of the Red Bull – Porsche deal. The Austrian manager said it is a shame for Mercedes not to be able to fight Porsche, unless the Stuttgart-based manufacturer can find another way into F1.

“I think it’s a very bold strategy,” said Wolff of Red Bull’s self-developed power unit project.

“Being self-sufficient is clearly a scenario that Red Bull has always wanted to achieve: having its own power unit and not being dependent on any other engine manufacturer. This is the strategy they have adopted. We will see what happens in 2026 and in the following years “.

“It is clear that this is a direction they have taken even if I do not know the details and I do not know if another manufacturer will put their logo on the power unit”.

“It’s a shame, of course. For me, as a Mercedes driver, it’s a shame not to be able to fight with Porsche. Porsche / Red Bull would have been a very interesting combination.”

“I don’t know the reasons that led to the halt to the negotiations. It would have been really fantastic for F1 and for all of us in general if they had joined forces to make this sport more attractive.”

Wolff then wanted to underline how much a brand like Porsche can bring to sport.

“Any large company that not only buys a team but invests large amounts of money to manage it is an advantage for F1.”

“If a brand like Porsche, known all over the world, decides to invest its marketing budget in entering F1, we will all benefit.”