Christian Horner expands on the upcoming Porsche deal with the German manufacturer trying to make it into F1 with Red Bull.
The news of Porsche joining hands with Red Bull is gaining pace after documents of a deal coming into light via some reports. The talk is of the 50% buyout of the F1 team in future with the powertrains situation to be shared between the two.
Until 2025, Honda will remain part of Red Bull as they announced in recent times. Beyond that, Porsche is likely to take the spot of the Japanese manufacturer. Here’s Horner expanding on the multiple topics regarding the deal:
Why Porsche deal –
Horner: “I think, you know, it’s all about who a potential partner could be. And of course, you know, a company like Porsche, it’s an enormous company, great heritage, phenomenal brand. So, of course, there are attractions to that. But any partnership would have to fit with the Red Bull philosophy, obviously, the DNA, the culture of who we are, how we go racing and what we’ve achieved. It would be absolutely fundamental to any discussion of not changing that, you know. We’re successful for a reason. And you know, of course, in any discussion that would be conditional on any involvement.”
How is Dietrich Mateschitz is taking it –
Horner: “As you rightly point out, Dietrich Mateschitz, what he’s put into Formula 1, and not just Formula 1, motor sport across the board, has been phenomenal, and he certainly would not agree to anything that in any way compromised the team in any way moving forward. And I think that, you know, as you say, we’re investing in other areas. The announcement of the RB17, which will be the first Red Bull car produced, is tremendously exciting. I think that Powertrains, as well, is going from strength to strength. We’ve taken on further appointments and recruits, which will be announced shortly and that’s exciting for the project.
“And I think that, you know, things are really taking shape. You can see, in Milton Keynes we’ve gone from being an industrial estate or a few units on an industrial estate to being a technology campus. And that, you know, the investment by the group has been significant. And I think with the new power unit regulations coming for 2026, we’ll be the only team, other than Ferrari, to have everything under one roof, on one site, on one campus. And that’s tremendously exciting for us. And so Red Bull has seen, you know, tremendous growth in the sport in everything that we’re doing, and I think that commitment and that investment has been second to none.”
What the powertrains will be called in future –
Horner: “It’s called the Rindt Building now, because we’ve gone past building numbers. Look, you know, we have recruited a very impressive group of people, within Red Bull Powertrains, you know, they’re hard at work. The first engine is due to fire up shortly. And, you know, it’s been a steep learning curve, but we’ve recruited some phenomenal talent. We’ve invested in the facilities to try and ensure that we’re able to compete with the likes of the current incumbents, and I think that’s a massive hurdle, because we’re going from zero 12 months ago, and we’ve built a factory in 55 weeks and obviously without total clarity of regulations that’s a key milestone to what the future looks like. So it’s an incredible commitment that Red Bull has made to the sport by investing in Red Bull Powertrains and it’s a key element for us, after Honda’s withdrawal from the sport, to take control of our own destiny and have power unit and chassis all integrated on one site. You know, strategically for the long term, that was absolutely the right way forward for us.”
Long-term stay for Porsche –
Horner: “Well, look, I mean, there’s plenty of speculation about this, but we’re really only at a discussion stage and there are so many caveats based on regulations that are the fundamental part. I think Red Bull has demonstrated its commitment to Formula 1, its longevity in the sport, initially as a sponsor and then as a team owner and then as a double team owner and then as a promoter with a circuit and so on. And I think anything that we look at is very much with the long term in mind. We’re not looking at a short term solution. Strategically, it would have to fit obviously, within the long-term plans that the Red Bull have for its commitment in Formula 1.”
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