Horner says Red Bull engine project was arguably his biggest challenge

Christian Horner called the creation of Red Bull Powertrains arguably the biggest challenge of his time at Red Bull. He said the project began without existing infrastructure, a legacy or a safety net.

Red Bull set up its own engine division in February 2021 after Honda announced its withdrawal from Formula 1, choosing to build power units in-house at Milton Keynes rather than rely solely on an outside manufacturer. Talks over a 50 percent Porsche buy-in later collapsed; Ford then came in as a technical and financial partner focused on battery-cell technology and electrical integration.

Horner said Red Bull also built its own manufacturing facility, making pistons and machining cylinders and solid blocks. He described the challenge as “scary as hell” because the team had no experience building engines; bringing in, backing and giving the right talent a chance was crucial, he said.

The payoff came in Malaysia, where Max Verstappen won with the new Red Bull power unit. Horner said the engine’s win came in its 16th race, during its first year, and that he took great pride in what the people behind it had achieved.