Christian Horner explains why Porsche and Red Bull never joined forces. A demand for equal ownership turned a promising engine deal into a dead end. Ford offered a different route into the 2026 rules.
Christian Horner has shed light on the partnership breakdown that reshaped Red Bull Racing’s preparations for Formula One’s 2026 power-unit era. Talks with Porsche advanced in 2022, when the new regulations promised a near-equal split between combustion and electrical power, while removing the costly MGU-H. The Volkswagen-owned marque saw a route into the championship; Red Bull saw a potential partner for its ambitious engine project.
Yet the prospect of a 50 per cent stake in Red Bull Technology raised questions about control, integration and the pace of development. Horner says the team had already made significant progress when he visited Porsche’s Weissach base. When the deal collapsed, Red Bull needed support without surrendering the independence behind its plan; Ford eventually fitted that brief.
