Christian Horner admits Red Bull F1 have ‘a lot of work to do’ ahead of 2026

Horner, Red Bull Racing, Silverstone — Photo: © LAT Images

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Horner admits Red Bull have ‘a lot of work to do’ ahead of 2026

The F1 world champions are entering into a partnership with Ford

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Tuesday 23 January 2024 12:57

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Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has said that the 'exchange of ideas' between the team and their 2026 partner Ford has been 'fantastic', but admitted there is still plenty that needs to be sorted.

Having announced in 2021 that they will be ditching Honda's power units, Red Bull decided that they will develop their own engines with the help of Ford from 2026, with the American car giants lending their performance team ahead of the new regulations set to sweep into Formula 1.

Those regulations will aim to improve racing at the same time as minimising the impact that the sport has on the environment, with new power units set to reduce the amount of fuel that cars will need.

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Red Bull's aim will be to once again take a step ahead of their competitors, having dominated the last few seasons in F1.

Star driver Max Verstappen recently said he could quit the sport entirely if Red Bull find themselves down the order in the first couple of seasons of the new regulations, putting pressure on the team to get it right.

Red Bull and Ford are joining together ahead of 2026

Christian Horner was able to see his drivers on the top step of the podium at every race bar one in 2023

2026 will see many changes, including the likes of Ford and Honda returning to F1, and Audi joining the gird for the first time

Red Bull's 2026 concerns

There have been rumours that Red Bull are a little behind in their development of the 2026 power unit, but Horner believes that the two companies are working well together.

“The last 12 months have been incredibly exciting because we’ve been introducing the various departments within Red Bull powertrains, and within Ford," he said at Ford's season launch event. "The exchange of ideas and technology has been fantastic on what is a brand new set of regulations for 2026.

“From the executive level right through to our engineers, everyone at Ford is committed to helping this team succeed. Myself and our drivers have had so much fun driving all the awesome Ford vehicles.

“2026 is not far away, and there is a lot of work to do between now and then. The clock is ticking, Oracle Red Bull and Ford performance teams have been collaborating on a new power unit, and we’re continuing to grow our strategic partnership."

Red Bull Max Verstappen Formula 1 Christian Horner