Red Bull and Max Verstappen’s triumph in last weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix was a vindication of sorts for former team boss Christian Horner.
Delivering a historic triumph for the team's new-era hybrid power unit, the victory stood as a monumental moment for the Red Bull-Ford partnership – an ambitious venture spearheaded and built by Horner.
The path to last Sunday’s moment began back in 2021 when Honda initially announced its departure from the sport. Faced with a crucial crossroads – either source power units from established competitors like Ferrari or Mercedes, or construct an internal engine program from scratch – Horner chose the ambitious route.
Under his leadership, Red Bull Powertrains was established, later joining forces with American giant Ford. Just 16 races into the new engine regulations, that daring enterprise bore its ultimate fruit.
The victory also marked Ford’s return to the top step of the podium in F1 for the first time since 2003.
Reflecting on the rapid rise of the Milton Keynes power unit facility, Horner took to Instagram, sharing a photograph of a bare Red Bull Ford engine mounted on a dyno rig. Accompanying the image was a heartfelt tribute:
"From a hole in the ground to race winner in five years. Huge congratulations to Red Bull Ford Powertrains, Max and the whole team. An incredible achievement!"
Paddock acclaim for a historic feat
Ahead of his win at Sepang, Verstappen had already secured seven podium finishes during the opening stretch of the campaign. But standing on the top step proved the true strength of the new hybrid setup.
The achievement drew praise across the paddock, highlighting the speed with which the independent engine program reached the pinnacle of motor racing.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner on the grid in 2023 with Ford CEO Jim Farley. (©RedBull)
Sky Sports F1’s Martin Brundle emphasized the immense scale of what the technical team accomplished:
"Christian Horner got a very good group of people together to start the Red Bull Powertrains project. That's a hugely impressive victory for the team - power unit and chassis - from Milton Keynes,” said the veteran commentator.
Even amid recent off-track noise and speculation regarding his future interests elsewhere in the paddock, Horner’s groundwork at Milton Keynes has yielded a landmark moment in modern motorsport, proving that Red Bull and Ford can build a winning engine on their own terms.
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