Horner says Red Bull shareholders thanked him after first win with its own F1 engine

Christian Horner says Red Bull shareholders called to thank him for his contribution to the team’s own power unit after Red Bull secured its first Formula 1 win with it. The gesture contrasted with the call that ended his time as team principal.

That breakthrough came at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, where Max Verstappen won with the Red Bull Ford Powertrains engine. Speaking at Autosport Business Exchange in New York, Horner said he was proud to have been part of its development and grateful to the shareholders and others involved who contacted him. He described the post-victory call as very different from the one 15 months earlier that led to his dismissal.

Red Bull set up Powertrains after Honda announced in 2020 that it would leave F1, Horner said. The team continued using Honda power units until 2025; its own unit, developed in collaboration with Ford, debuted in 2026. Horner joined Red Bull as team principal in 2005, when it acquired Jaguar, and was sacked in July 2025, when Laurent Mekies replaced him. Verstappen followed the engine’s first win with another victory in Singapore a week later.