Red Bull boss Oliver Mintzlaff says Christian Horner deserves “credit” for “finding the right people” to work at the team’s new engine division.
It comes as Red Bull prepares to reveal the livery of the new RB22 car, to be driven by Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar in F1 2026, later today (Thursday).
‘Credit to Christian Horner’ ahead of Red Bull F1 2026 launch
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Red Bull will compete with its own engines for the first time in F1 2026 via its in-house engine division, Red Bull Powertrains, which is working in collaboration with US manufacturer Ford.
Horner, who led Red Bull to six constructors’ championships and eight drivers’ titles, played an instrumental role in the company’s decision to produce its own engines from 2026.
The 52-year-old was sacked by Red Bull in the aftermath of last year’s British Grand Prix, bringing an end to his stint of more than two decades in charge.
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As revealed by PlanetF1.com last year, Red Bull and sister outfit Racing Bulls will become the first teams to take the covers off their 2026 liveries at a Ford season-launch event in Detroit on Thursday.
And ahead of the unveiling of the team’s 2026 look, Mintzlaff, the chief executive of new investments and corporate projects at Red Bull GmbH, has acknowledged Horner’s role in gearing Red Bull Powertrains for success by bringing “a lot of good people on board.”
Asked what his big dream is for the coming years, Mintzlaff told Dutch publication De Telegraaf: “For us, it will be particularly interesting to see how we fare with our own engine.
“I remember team founder Dietrich Mateschitz telling me a few years ago that we were going to build our own engine.
“I thought to myself: ‘What the f**k, what does that mean?’ And then I heard how much it was going to cost…
“But it was his big dream and credit to Christian Horner for finding the right people for that department.
“Now I just hope that we can all make Dietrich’s big dream come true. That we will win again in the new era and write new success stories.
“I think this is going to be a great story, with our two teams: two young drivers in the talent team [Racing Bulls] and Isack Hadjar getting a chance alongside Max.
“This suits Red Bull; we find the best talent for the best positions. I think we’ve done pretty well overall over the last 21 years.”
RBPT-Ford will be one of two new engine manufacturers on the F1 2026 grid along with Audi, which has completed its rebrand of the previous Sauber team.
Meanwhile, Red Bull’s previous engine partner Honda is making an official return to F1 with the Aston Martin team having withdrawn at the end of Verstappen’s first title-winning season in 2021.
In an exclusive interview with PlanetF1.com last year, Horner claimed that the engine division is “by far the biggest challenge that we’ve taken on in Formula 1.”
However, Mintzlaff has argued that there is no reason for Red Bull to enter the new season with trepidation.
Asked what will happen if Red Bull finds itself sixth or seventh in the 2026 pecking order, he replied: “No one knows – maybe we’ll be the second or third team.
“I know we have some extremely talented people working for us. And it’s not just about the engine, but also the chassis.
“Christian Horner has also brought a lot of good people on board in recent years, just look at the engine department.
“There will always be staff leaving when a competitor makes a good offer. But I also think that many people see that there is a different atmosphere here now.
“And that they see Red Bull as a winning, cool team that gives talent the opportunity to develop themselves.”
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