“We experienced what it means to be a works team”– Red Bull doesn’t want to be a customer anymore as it is a disadvantage according to them.
After multiple efforts and negotiation, Red Bull convinced FIA to have an engine freeze in Formula 1 till 2025, and even after then, Red Bull is planning to be self-reliant by manufacturing their own power unit.
For that, Red Bull has already started their preparations at their headquarters based in Milton-Keynes, as they don’t want to be a customer team anymore.
“Some people say we’re crazy,” said Christian Horner. But the project makes sense to us for many reasons. We are allowed to use Honda’s technical knowledge.”
“The development stop for the engines was extremely important for us in order to establish ourselves in a phase of stability in the business and to build an infrastructure to build our own engines.”
“When the cost cap is $ 80 million, it makes no sense to build engines that cost $ 2 million each. If you can then supply two teams with engines for a reasonable amount of money, then the question arises as to whether it is better not to build the engines yourself within this framework.”
Important to bring everything under one roof
Red Bull, often at par with Mercedes and Ferrari, was often at a setback in this department. Their relations with Renault became unstable, and now Honda is leaving F1, so the source of a powerful engine was always an issue Red Bull wants to end.
“Red Bull can become the first private engine manufacturer since Cosworth. This is how we control our own destiny. And we are on par with Ferrari and Mercedes, who already have everything under one roof.”
“These synergies bring advantages. Until now we have only been customers. With Honda, we experienced what it means to be a works team for the first time.”
“It’s like when you are no longer flying economy but business class. Once you get used to it, you don’t want to go back to economy. To avoid that, you’d better buy your own plane.”
