Red Bull-Porsche deal could fall through after all?
Aug.30 - Red Bull's highly anticipated works deal with Porsche for 2026 and beyond is at risk of falling through.
Auto Motor und Sport reports that Formula 1's currently dominant team is nervous about the influence that the Volkswagen-owned German sports car maker would have in the event of a rumoured 50 percent buyout.
Red Bull wanted to make the deal public recently at the Austrian GP, and since then the long delayed 2026 engine regulations were set in stone by the FIA.
Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner and Red Bull Racing Team Consultant Dr Helmut Marko (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
However, Dr Helmut Marko admits the delayed Red Bull-Porsche deal is not ready to be finalised because it is a "complex situation".
Team boss Christian Horner added: "There are still many details to be clarified. Porsche is welcome, but the matter is not that simple.
"I hope that the negotiations will come to a good end."
Following Honda's decision to officially exit F1 at the end of last year, Red Bull set up its own engine subsidiary - Red Bull Powertrains - which already has 300 staff.
"The alternative would have been a customer engine with Ferrari or Renault," Horner said.
Now, however, Honda is showing signs of wanting to re-join the Formula 1 party - giving Red Bull both a plan A, plan B and even a potential plan C for 2026 and beyond.
"We can now build our own engine on our own," Marko insisted. "Then we would be the only team next to Ferrari to develop the car and engine under one roof."
The deadline for a Red Bull-Porsche deal is now thought to be mid-December, so that Porsche can enjoy the 100-day period of no strategic decisions before a looming $85 billion IPO.
✅ Check out more posts with related topics:
Sounds like Honda are messing with Red Bulls head again, but as someone said on here With Honda reputation for ins and outs , the security of a long term team is paramount, IF Honda can give them that, then why not stay with Sakura
That was me squeaking about Honda, but if RB can get a long term support contract they would be bonkers to wreck a good thing.
50% is too big of a risk for Red Bull, this will fundamentally change the way they have operated to date. It will introduce a complete layer of people in suits that will be triggered if they didn’t get the memo or a chance to poke their noses into a system that works. Each one bringing a new idea to the table and expecting that their opinion will carry as much value as the person on the Red Bull team that has been at the coal face and has probably already tried the newest latest daft idea that’s brought to the table. And who can blame Porsche after all they would be entitled to interfere if they become joint partners. And Porsche would also want to place some of their own people inside Red Bull so job cuts would have to happen at Red Bull to accommodate this under the budget cap. I can’t see Abe Simpson sorry I meant Helmut Marko being told what to do by some upstart engineer who thinks because he is carrying a clipboard he is important. If it ain’t broke then don’t fix it.
Spy , maybe yes maybe no , but Abes 79yr and Dieter 78yr, some long term succession plannings bound to be on there minds, by the time the Porsche or Honda guys arrive Abe wont be there....Please don't say Torgers going to become the new Ceo of Rb lol
Emmm I cannot believe VAG would want Audi and Porsche involved in 2 different teams.
yeah i mean that's like Audi rs4 and lambo suv homer , shall i go on, incase f6 didn't know VAG Volkswagen Audi Group
✅ Checkout the latest 50 F1 Fans comments.