Former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has candidly admitted that building the team's in-house power unit from absolute scratch was terrifying, following the engine's maiden race victories during the 2026 championship season. This milestone arrives despite his departure from the Milton Keynes outfit a year prior following a turbulent period of mixed results and intense internal paddock controversies.
The Ford-partnered power unit made its competitive track debut this year and has since been lauded by the FIA as the benchmark internal combustion engine under the sport's complex technical regulations. Star driver Max Verstappen successfully delivered the power plant's historic first victory at Sepang, followed swiftly by another dominant triumph on the streets of Singapore.
Reflecting on the powertrain triumph in an interview with Motorsport.com, Horner explained that it was arguably the greatest professional challenge he faced during his tenure due to the complete lack of prior engine manufacturing infrastructure. He highlighted the incredible commitment required to build a facility from nothing, manufacturing pistons, and machining cylinders directly out of solid blocks.
He stated, "It was scary as hell because we had no experience of building engines." Horner further expressed immense pride in witnessing the power unit secure its breakthrough victory during its sixteenth race of the debut campaign against manufacturers with vastly superior historical experience.
The interview precedes the official release of Horner's memoir, Drive. Meanwhile, Red Bull arrives at the upcoming Grand Prix in Austin trailing McLaren by seven points in the ongoing battle for third place in the constructors' world championship standings.
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