Christian Horner, the team principal of Red Bull Racing, acknowledged that he hasn’t yet encountered the greatest obstacle in his Formula 1 career.
Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 Podcast, Horner, 50, made it apparent that he is aware that nothing in Formula One is permanent, even with his team’s dominance this year.
It was perhaps the best season a team has ever had in Formula 1 when Max Verstappen crossed the finish line in Abu Dhabi.
In 2023, Red Bull earned 860 points from the Dutchman’s 19 Grand Prix victories, plus two more from Sergio Perez.
Even though the grid was closing in this year, Verstappen alone would have won the Constructors’ Championship, and Red Bull’s race pace was astounding.
Red Bull won’t be losing their hold on the top spot on the grid very soon, even though the other teams will keep catching up to them over the next two years. There won’t be any significant rule changes during that time.
Christian Horner has acknowledged that Red Bull in 2026 will present him with his greatest test to date.
With Adrian Newey at his side, the team is poised to handle any challenge that may arise.
However, they are starting from scratch with this endeavor, which has the potential to make or break the team before the next regulation change.
Horner admits he faces biggest challenge yet at Red Bull
Regarding his long-term goals, Horner stated: “Well, a long time in Formula 1 is about two weeks. I’ve had offers come in the past to get involved in other sports, in other entities, but at the end of the day, I’m a racer, and I love what I do. As a team member who has been there from the start, I have a commitment and responsibility for the team.
“Even so, I still have a few years left in me as the second-youngest team principal in Formula 1. Although my motivation is still extremely high, the biggest challenge I’ll face in Formula 1 is the arrival of Red Bull power trains in 2026.
Thus, it continues to inspire me to get out of bed in the morning and look forward to going to work each day.
For the next few years, Horner will need to devote all of his attention to the task of creating a Red Bull power train.
Although their collaboration with Honda has been incredibly fruitful, having everything in-house allows the team greater control over their future course.
Prior to that time, Horner will also need to decide who will sit beside Max Verstappen in that particular vehicle.
Daniel Ricciardo may not be prepared to take the reins just yet, having joined AlphaTauri only a few months ago, while Perez needs to put in more effort to maintain his position.
