Christian Horner ‘internally speaks differently’ as Red Bull comment shocks Marko

Helmut Marko was taken aback by a comment he had read from Red Bull team principal Christian Horner over their F1 2026 engine.

Said comment – believed to have been made to Sport Bild – was brought up by Austrian publication OE24 as they spoke to Red Bull senior advisor Marko ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, with Horner alleged to have said it would be arrogant to believe the newly-created Red Bull Powertrains engine will make them better than their rivals out of the blocks in F1 2026.

Will the Red Bull engine prove the class of F1 2026?

New chassis and engine regulations are on the way, and the challenge has not stopped there for Red Bull, which is creating its very first F1 power unit for the arrival of these new rules, working in partnership with Ford.

At the end of 2024, Horner had suggested that while Red Bull Powertrains-Ford had all the ingredients required for success, Red Bull becoming an engine manufacturer represents “by far our biggest challenge in the sport” and that it is “going to take time” to take on established engine manufacturers like Mercedes and Ferrari.

Following apparent fresh controlling of expectations from Horner in the German press, this was something which Marko confirmed he had seen, comments he finds not consistent with what Horner says behind closed doors.

“I was also surprised when I read that,” Marko responded on Horner’s alleged comments. “Internally, he speaks differently.

“We are within the limits with our engine and believe that we currently have no significant disadvantage.”

Marko therefore is not concerned about the unknown that is the Red Bull engine proving too much of a risk for their reigning four-time World Champion Max Verstappen to take.

Red Bull’s dominance has faded over the last year, fuelling speculation over Verstappen’s future with the team, as has rumblings over how the Red Bull-Ford engine will stack up against what Mercedes creates. Verstappen has been linked with a move to the team and Aston Martin, who will take over Honda power from Red Bull next season.

“The other manufacturers also have to build completely new engines for next year,” Marko pointed out.

“We have experienced people, and we have poached a large number of them from established companies.”

More on the F1 2026 regulations from PlanetF1.com

? F1 2026: Confirmed teams and power unit suppliers for F1’s huge regulation changes

? F1 2025 v F1 2026: Nine key questions ahead of huge regulation changes

The last time Formula 1 introduced new engines was in 2014, which marked the start of the turbo-hybrid era and a run of eight consecutive Constructors’ Championship wins for Mercedes.

And whatever happens in F1’s new era, the last thing Marko wants is one manufacturer dominating the competition.

“That could bring surprises,” he said on the rules revamp. “I don’t hope that one of the engine manufacturers will be as superior as Mercedes was in 2014.”

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