Red Bull is now on an “even keel” with Formula 1’s manufacturer teams after securing a deal to take Honda engines in-house from 2022.
Though already confirmed by advisor Helmut Marko, on Monday, the company formally announced both Red Bull and AlphaTauri would retain their current power units until the end of 2024, this after F1 teams agreed to freeze engine development from next year last week.
While costly, as Red Bull now converts Building 8 at their Milton Keynes factory into its Powertrains base, Horner believes the move is the right one for the team on track.
“We have taken control of our own destiny, in respect of integrating power unit with chassis,” he said in a video call with reporters.
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“We’ve got the short-term scenario of the existing engine regulations and then of course whatever the new regulations are, we need to be in a position to take that on as well.
“[We are on] an even keel with the likes of Mercedes, the likes of Ferrari and Renault.
“We won’t be beholden on having a partner so we’ve got the independence to do it ourselves,” Horner added, suggesting this could be a permanent move by Red Bull.
Although… “If an exciting partner comes along, then, of course, it makes sense to look at it very seriously,” he also noted, this as Audi or Porsche, both of which are VW brands, have been linked to a future F1 entry.
For the foreseeable future, however, the focus is on the Honda unit, which is unlikely to be rebadged despite suggestions that selling the naming rights could recoup some investment.
“As far as badging is concerned, there are no discussions underway regarding that,” Horner said to RaceFans. “So it will be a Red Bull engine.
“[On AlphaTauri,] we haven’t gone into specifics yet but I would envisage so. It’s a Red Bull engine.
“As Mercedes is a Mercedes it will be an incorporated part of the car, so it’ll just be a ‘Red Bull’.”