Christian Horner, the Red Bull team boss, has hinted that as many as eight cars could use the Red Bull-Ford Formula 1 engine after 2026.
Currently, the plan is to supply the power units exclusively to Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri.
“If our engine is attractive to customers, we would be open to negotiating to supply engines to other teams in the future,” Horner said.
He added that the relationship with Ford is working well, but that Red Bull is essentially an independent manufacturer, which is an advantage in the long term.
“Our facilities will be capable of powering eight cars. It’s something we think we can do in the longer term,” Horner said.
However, he stressed that the focus for now is on integrating the engine team with the chassis team.
“It’s a huge challenge, but I think it’s the right path and we are making reasonable progress,” Horner said.
Red Bull is facing a formidable challenge from Ferrari, which currently has the most powerful engine in F1.
“It was a surprising result,” Horner said of Ferrari’s win in Monza. “We knew we had a fast car, but the Ferrari was very, very fast on the straights.”
He added that Singapore will be one of the toughest races on the calendar.
“We will do everything possible to maintain the momentum we have,” Horner said. “One day they’ll beat us. It’s inevitable – it’s guaranteed. It’s just a question of when.”
