Horner Banned ‘Mercedes’ Name as He Reveals Why Porsche Deal Fell Through

Christian Horner had to prohibit discussions of the 'Mercedes' name during internal meetings at Red Bull, expressing satisfaction at seeing Red Bull Powertrain secure victories in Formula 1 races. Mercedes has long been seen as the benchmark in the F1 world of power unit manufacturers, dominating the era starting in 2014 until Honda broke through in 2022. However, Mercedes fought back through McLaren, taking the constructors' win that year.

As the new 2026 regulations were introduced, the FIA recognized Red Bull Ford powertrain as the most powerful, despite Mercedes' power unit still being at the top overall. Red Bull had to either switch to Mercedes or Ferrari, but both struggled to provide the team with a power unit. Using either would have been avoided, leading Red Bull to manufacture their own power unit under the new regulations.

Horner had to poach personnel from Mercedes High Performance Powertrain (HPP) to join the Red Bull team. There was much talk at the time that he had to ban the 'Mercedes' name from internal meetings, with Horner revealing this during a video interview with Autosport. He stated that after a year, they had their first prototype engine running, but there were still nerves within the team in Austria about whether they could produce a competitive engine.

As they progressed with the project, building new infrastructure in Milton Keynes, Red Bull needed additional funding. They continued paying Honda and initiated discussions with Porsche, but the deal fell through after a visit to their base in Germany. Horner realized that merging the two entities would be challenging, with potential compromises and direction issues in a 50/50 partnership.

The failure to secure a Porsche deal left Red Bull with a significant burden, as they were paying Honda to stay in Formula 1 and building their own engine. With the Porsche option gone, Ford Motor approached Red Bull, offering a deal that seemed perfect. Ford wanted to enter F1 without a large impact, and Red Bull needed a partner like that, considering their past experiences in the sport.

The American company was enthusiastic about the collaboration, wanting to support rather than over-involve themselves in Red Bull's business.