That wild gamble to build a Formula 1 engine from scratch has finally paid off, and according to The Race, the man who spearheaded the project has received rare recognition from the very top. Christian Horner has revealed that Red Bull's majority shareholders and corporate projects CEO Oliver Mintzlaff personally thanked him following the team's first victories with its in-house power unit.
What started out as a response to Honda's departure at the end of 2021 quickly morphed into a full-scale manufacturer operation for the 2026 regulations, featuring a partnership with Ford. Red Bull Powertrains turned a bubble wrap factory into a fully operational engine facility in just 55 weeks. The resulting power unit hit the ground running, becoming a race winner in its 16th grand prix when Max Verstappen took victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, before repeating the feat with a sprint and main event double in Singapore a week later.
Speaking on The Race F1 Podcast, Horner reflected on the project and the messages he received from the hierarchy. He noted that both shareholders independently thanked him after the recent wins, while Mintzlaff graciously called him after the Singapore success to acknowledge what was put together and achieved. Horner admitted that setting up the engine division initially felt like a harebrained idea that faced internal resistance, but praised the late co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz and co-owner Chalerm Yoovidhya for backing the risk.
Horner, who served as founding team principal until his dismissal after the British Grand Prix in July 2025 following a power struggle that intensified after Mateschitz's death in October 2022, sees the engine's instant competitiveness as one of his greatest achievements. He recalled that Helmut Marko told him he had overplayed his hand in shaping the team, and acknowledged that refusing to give up parts of his leadership role may have contributed to his departure.
Despite a previously difficult relationship with Mintzlaff while in office, Horner insists it is all water under the bridge now. He confirmed he has seen both shareholders since leaving and has a decent relationship with them, while wishing the business the best as it continues to fly growth-wise. Horner is currently speaking to media ahead of the release of his memoir, Drive, published by Bantam on 22nd October.
