Red Bull partners expecting angry phonecall from Christian Horner early next season

Max Verstappen is trying to match Michael Schumacher by winning a fifth consecutive Formula 1 world championship this season. Schumacher set the all-time record at Ferrari between 2000 and 2004.

Verstappen’s current streak, which began in 2021, matches the all-time best for Lewis Hamilton (2017-20), Sebastian Vettel (2010-13) and Juan Manuel Fangio (1954-57). But his prospects are uncertain.

Red Bull finished third in last year’s constructors’ championship, some 77 points behind McLaren. Verstappen was able to build up a commanding early cushion as their 2023 dominance spilled over, but he’s unlikely to have that luxury this time.

The Dutchman has proven that he can almost robotically extract the maximum from his Red Bull cars. It wasn’t uncommon to see Sergio Perez on the fringes of the top 10 while Verstappen scored podiums.

Perhaps that will be enough to win the title if McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull are closely matched. But there’s a limit to what even Verstappen can do with an inferior car.

There is arguably more pressure than ever on the contenders. The opportunity this year is clear, but the future is far more murky as the sweeping 2026 regulation changes loom.

Ford CEO says Christian Horner will ‘probably’ be unhappy at start of Red Bull partnership

To add to the uncertainty for Red Bull, they will split with engine partners Honda at the end of this year. The Japanese manufacturer are switching their supply to Honda.

Instead of partnering with a pre-existing manufacturer, Red Bull have taken the seismic risk of setting up their own powertrains division. Competing with long-established giants like Mercedes and Ferrari from the outset might be too great an ask.

Christian Horner will at least be thankful to have the backing of Ford. While partly a commercial arrangement, the Americans will also assist in research and development.

On Thursday, Horner appeared on stage with 2025 race driver Liam Lawson and Ford CEO Jim Farley for the Ford Performance season launch. Host Josh Denzel asked Farley what he’d do if the Red Bull boss called him to complain about the engine after three races.

• READ MORE: Everything we know about F1’s 2026 regulation changes from engines to tyres

“Yeah, that’s probably going to happen!” Farley replied. “I don’t know if it’s the third or the eighth race. I think there’s no pressure like racing in Formula 1. This is going to be a great lesson for our company. That’s exactly why we want to do it. Because it matters.”

Max Verstappen has already predicted which F1 team will have the best 2026 engine

While Farley was smiling as he made his remarks, it’s clear that Ford are trying to manage expectations. They know it will take time to optimise the partnership given their lack of recent experience in F1.

Ford have achieved success in the sport in the past. For instance, they powered Michael Schumacher’s Benetton as he won the 1994 world championship.

But this is their first involvement since 2004, when they sold the Jaguar team – ironically to Red Bull. Max Verstappen is convinced Mercedes will have the best engine, and his concerns may be justified.

Still, the traditional suppliers may struggle too. Even Honda are finding the changes ‘very difficult’ by their own admission, so there are no guarantees.