Christian Horner Reflects on Red Bull’s Honda Era, Looks Forward to New Chapter with Ford
As the 2025 Formula 1 season progresses, Christian Horner, the team principal of Red Bull Racing, has taken a moment to reflect on the team’s successful partnership with Honda. The Japanese manufacturer has been Red Bull’s power unit supplier since 2019, and together, they have achieved incredible success, including four drivers’ championships and two constructors’ titles.
However, as Honda prepares to withdraw from its partnership with Red Bull at the end of the 2025 season, Horner is already looking forward to the next chapter in the team’s history. With the announcement of Red Bull’s new powertrains partnership with Ford, set to begin in 2026, Horner is excited about the prospect of taking control of their own power unit development.
Speaking to the media during the Chinese Grand Prix weekend, Horner expressed his gratitude for the successful partnership with Honda. “Honda is a great racing organization,” he said. “We’ve had a wonderful relationship since they obviously stepped away from McLaren and joined with us in 2019.”
Horner reflected on the impressive statistics of their partnership, which includes six world championships and over 60 race wins. “It’s been the most successful Honda relationship in F1,” he noted. “Their passion, their commitment has been outstanding, and, of course, their product is very strong.”
As Honda prepares to embark on a new partnership with Aston Martin in 2026, Horner acknowledged that it will be sad to see them go. “We’ll be sad to say sayonara at the end of the year, but we’ll look back on this period with great pride,” he said.
However, Horner’s focus is already shifting to the next chapter in Red Bull’s history. With the launch of their own powertrains project, which will be powered by Ford, Horner is excited about the prospect of taking control of their own power unit development.
“They’re doing well,” Horner said, referring to the progress of the powertrains project. “And behind the scenes again, back in Milton Keynes, working long hours and long days at the moment.”
Horner acknowledged the scale of the challenge that lies ahead but expressed confidence in his team’s ability to deliver. “But, we’re making good progress with the engine,” he said. “And together we’ve forwarded it. This time in 12 months, it will be powering two grand prix teams. So, it’s difficult to almost comprehend the scale of the challenge.”
As Red Bull prepares to embark on this new chapter, Horner’s comments suggest that the team is excited about the prospect of taking control of their own destiny. With the partnership with Ford set to begin in 2026, Red Bull is poised to enter a new era of success, one that will be fueled by their own power unit development.
The next 12 months will be crucial for Red Bull as they work tirelessly to develop their new power unit. However, with Horner at the helm and a talented team of engineers and technicians working behind the scenes, there is every reason to believe that Red Bull will continue to be a dominant force in Formula 1 for years to come.
