Red Bull thanks Christian Horner after its engine’s maiden victory

Red Bull called Christian Horner to thank him for his contribution to the team’s engine project after the power unit’s first Formula 1 victory. The success came at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, courtesy of Max Verstappen.

Horner said Red Bull’s shareholders had contacted him after that maiden success. The gesture carries added significance after his departure from the team: he was sacked in July 2025 and replaced by Laurent Mekies. Referring to the call that had informed him of his dismissal, Horner said this conversation, 15 months later, was very different.

“We managed to do it on the chassis side and then the challenge came, could we do it on the engine side?” Horner said at a conference in New York. He explained that Red Bull needed an engine after Honda announced its withdrawal in 2020, and then created a start-up called Powertrains. The aim, he said, was to attract talent, give people opportunities and encourage them to push the boundaries.

The former team principal also praised the work behind the power unit. “It was an appreciated gesture, seeing that engine and knowing what went into it, you know, the sweat and tears along the way,” he said. Horner said he was proud to have been part of the engine developed and delivered this year, and grateful to the shareholders and employees who had reached out to him. He described the first Grand Prix win as an incredible achievement for everyone involved, noting how difficult it is to win.

Horner led the team for two decades. During that time, Red Bull won eight drivers’ titles and six constructors’ titles, while moving from being an engine customer to a power-unit manufacturer after Honda’s withdrawal from Formula 1 at the end of the 2021 season. Red Bull was able to keep using Japanese powertrains until last year; its own engine, developed in collaboration with Ford, made its debut in 2026.