Red Bull Racing joined hands with Ford recently for the 2026 power-unit development program as F1 is all set to bring new regulations following the current engine freeze As Red Bull became the first team to start working on the engine, they encountered problems with the regulations. Christian Horner, the Red Bull team principal, decided to label it as a ‘Frankenstein engine’. This is because he thinks it won’t be good for Formula 1 as a whole.
Earlier this year, it was announced that Red Bull would partner up with the American automotive giants. In their collaboration, Ford will invest an amount of $30,000,000 for a period of eight years for the development of Red Bull and AlphaTauri’s new engines.
Red Bull Ford Powertrains
— Scherazade (@ScherazadeMS) March 30, 2023
However they are already facing an initial issue with the development as Horner and his team believe that the regulation changes aren’t following the correct path. Since the Milton-Keynes-based team was the first team to have started working on it, Horner, clearly became the first team boss to push the FIA to make alterations. Unfortunately for Horner, he got a lot of criticism for the same.
Why did Christian Horner label the unit as Frankenstein?
The upcoming 2026 F1 engine formula will see a 50/50 split between fuel and electric power. This makes the new engine drastically different from the ones that are being used now, or the ones that were used in the past.
Red Bull soon found out that the 50/50 concept was never going to work and it will have to be changed. Following this, Horner, according to Business F1, decided to call it a ‘Frankenstein engine.’
And we’re off to the races. The #F1 races! Red Bull Ford Powertrains will develop the hybrid power unit ready for the 2026 season. Ford® CEO @jimfarley98 was there for the big announcement today. Let’s go! #FordReturns pic.twitter.com/IKqfp7jBjl
— Ford Motor Company (@Ford) February 3, 2023
To give context, ‘Frankenstein’ is a monster that destroys its creator [Frankenstein]. Since Horner feels that the engines will affect his cars adversely, he compared it to fictious monster. It is understandable why the Red Bull boss had the dig towards Jean Todt, who championed the new engine formula.
Nevertheless, Toto Wolff had a different take on Horner’s criticism. The Mercedes boss is of the opinion that his Red Bull rival is frightened. This is the reason the Red Bull boss is criticizing the engines to this extent.
Red Bull boss strikes back at Toto Wolff
Christian Horner did not take Wolff’s comments on him lightly. He targeted the 51-year-0ld and said, “I’m not sure how close Toto is to his engine business.”
He e went on to describe how they found limitations to the engine development and opined to have the ratio changed. Admittedly, former FIA boss Jean Todt was the principal figure behind the 2026 F1 engine formula. He worked day in and day out for the formation of the formula, which is now being put into question.
Todt also wanted to woo German automotive giant Audi into the mix. And for this, he allowed Markus Duesmann, the former Audi boss to dictate the terms of the new regulations. And finally, Audi agreed to be a part of F1 from the 2026 F1 season.
