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Partnership Between Red Bull Racing and Porsche for 2026 Still Up in the Air

According to Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner, a decision to take on Porsche as a partner in F1 for 2026 and beyond has yet to be made. Horner also insists that Red Bull doesn’t even need Porsche to finance its power unit project and that if a deal isn’t reached, the new engine would simply run under the Red Bull name.
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Porsche have been rather quiet on the matter too, despite fellow VW Group brand Audi having already registered with the FIA as a power unit supplier for 2026.

As far as everyone knows, Porsche’s initial plan was to become a shareholder in Red Bull’s F1 operation and market the powertrain as their own, even though they would have nothing to do with it – basically a marketing scheme.

Apparently, the two companies are still debating on key matters such as future shareholdings and voting rights, while the impending Porsche IPO could also complicate things.

“Obviously, we’re pushing ahead with Red Bull Powertrains,” said Horner in an interview with Motorsport. “They fired up the first engine prior to the summer break. 2026 is still a while away.”

“We have plenty of time, and of course, strategically, we will have to do what’s right for the team and for the company. And obviously that’s between the shareholders. And there’s constructive discussion, ongoing discussions obviously with Porsche.”

When asked whether Red Bull might actually continue working with Honda, Horner stated: “I think that for 2026, nothing is fixed. I mean, obviously, Red Bull Powertrains is established, we have more than 300 people recruited. So, that is our path.”

It seems as though Red Bull are really ready to go forward on their own and that it’s Porsche that needs to be more convincing during negotiations – which is only fair, seen as how one is basically a newcomer to the sport and the other is dominating F1 at the moment.
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About the author: Sergiu Tudose
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Sergiu got to experience both American and European car "scenes" at an early age (his father drove a Ford Fiesta XR2 supermini in the 80s). After spending over 15 years at local and international auto publications, he's starting to appreciate comfort behind the wheel more than raw power and acceleration.
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