Having left F1 at the end of the 2021 season, Honda will soon return to the sport with its powertrains ready to roar within the cars. With a return date of 2026 set for Honda, their biggest customer, Red Bull, now realizes they did not need to indulge themselves in the development of an in-house powertrain. However, Red Bull’s Helmut Marko believes there is no turning back now for his team.
Earlier this year in June, Christian Horner addressed his team’s decision to work on self-made powertrains by stating it was an “expensive” decision. However, he added F1 was not a sport where teams could achieve success by being cheap.
In OE24’s latest report, it seems the gamble by Red Bull is much more expensive than it was previously thought, given Helmut Marko’s revelation of them having no Plan B. While they enjoyed an unprecedented level of domination in 2023, the scenario could drastically change for the Milton Keynes-based outfit three years down the line.
Q- “Is there actually a plan B to stick with the Honda engine if the Red Bull engine is not competitive in time?”
Marko-” No. It has to work.”
With regulation changes coming into effect from the 2026 season, the new dynamics of the cars could make for a change in the pecking order of the F1 grid. Furthermore, gambling on an entirely new powertrain without opting for a backup in case things go wrong could lead to a catastrophic season for the record-breaking 2023 Constructors’ champions.
The 2026 season will mark a pivotal moment in the history of Red Bull Racing
Stepping away from being a customer team of Honda when it comes to powertrains, Red Bull is partnering up with American carmaker Ford to develop their first-ever homegrown powertrain to use in F1 races. Speaking about the same earlier in December, Christian Horner offered an update on the positive progress made by his team.
“So much has happened in the background, especially with Red Bull Powertrains. They have achieved some milestones during the year”, revealed the Briton.
However, Horner is well aware that his side still has a lot of work to do since 2026 is not too far away. Not only do Red Bull and Ford have to ensure they come up with competitive engines for two Red Bull cars, but they also have to come up with enough powertrains to be able to power the AlphaTauri cars.
Once they achieve this, the team will look at bids from other teams on the grid to be their customers. As such, Horner understands there is a major time constraint facing him, and it will require his utmost attention to ensure the successful completion of the powertrain project within the expected time frame.
