Horner delivers F1 farewell as Red Bull EXIT confirmed

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has delivered a farewell statement after a major exit has been confirmed at the Formula 1 team.

Horner took up the role as team principal at the age of 31 when the outfit joined the sport in 2005, making him the youngest principal in the history of the sport.

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Since then, the team have gone through major changes as the sport evolves, with a new wave of regulations set to sweep through F1 in 2026 with multiple changes on the horizon as a result.

A huge change for Red Bull is that their partnership with Honda is coming to an end, and as a result, their role as the team's power unit developer.

Following Honda’s split with McLaren in 2017, the Japanese manufacturer went on to supply power units for Red Bull team, Toro Rosso, and partnered both outfits in 2019.

Honda announced that they would be withdrawing from F1 in 2021, but the team had second thoughts due to the 2026 regulations, which promise a 50:50 split between the combustion engine and electrical parts.

However, with Honda and Red Bull’s split already confirmed, the power unit supplier announced they would be partnering with Aston Martin for 2026 and beyond instead.

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Horner issues statement over Honda power unit difficulties

Honda and Red Bull will part ways at the end of the 2025 season, with Red Bull producing their own powertrains from 2026.

Despite a move to a new team, Honda have revealed their concern with their 2026 power unit, claiming that everything has been ‘very difficult’, suggesting its engine programme was behind the curve.

Following this revelation from Honda, Horner has issued a statement on Honda’s difficulties as he prepares to see out the final year of their partnership.

"It is a big challenge, I mean they disbanded their project and then restarted it again," Horner said to the media.

"They may well have lost a little bit of time through that, but they're a very capable company and they've got great strength.

"I am sure they'll have a competitive power unit come 2026."

Red Bull will not be alone in their new power unit operations, with the team partnering Ford, who will help them create their engine supply for both them and their sister team, Racing Bulls.

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