Red Bull Chief Christian Horner Addresses Shock Renault Exit After Tumultuous Relationship

Renault's announcement to exit as a power unit supplier by the end of the 2025 season has significant implications for Formula 1.

May 5, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Red Bull team principle Christian Horner sits in the F1 Village before the F1 Miami Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports / Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Renault has announced its decision to step back from its role as a power unit supplier by the end of the 2025 season. The announcement, made during the Belgian Grand Prix by soon-to-be-former Alpine team principal Bruno Famin, outlines a redirection for the team, adopting a customer team model once new power unit regulations kick in.

Renault's shift hints at its struggle with the new 2026 power unit regulations. Falling behind powerhouses like Mercedes, Ferrari, and Honda, Renault's decision also appears to be a move to mitigate competitive disadvantages that have emerged in recent years as well as cost implications.

Red Bull, which had Renault as its engine supplier from 2007 to 2018, enjoyed a golden era with four constructor's titles and four drivers' championships won by Sebastian Vettel from 2010 through 2013. However, the relationship faced turbulence beginning in 2014 with the advent of the V6 turbo-hybrid era, leading to compatibility issues and mounting frustrations. The partnership eventually ended in 2018.

Responding to Renault’s recent announcement, Christian Horner, Team Principal of Red Bull Racing, commented during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, as quoted by RacingNews365:

"I'm always sad to see an engine manufacturer go.

"Viry [Viry-Châtillon, where Renault produces the Alpine power unit] has been involved in Formula 1 for many, many years, but I understand they have other projects that they are involved in.

"They supplied engines to us for many years, so we know quite a lot of the people there and wish them well for the future."

Famin revealed in his announcement that Alpine would look to move to another constructor for its power units in the future:

“We have presented a project, the project is not the power unit.

“The project is much much bigger than that. It’s a transformation project at the level of the Alpine brand.

“Alpine is developing as a huge project of development with seven new models in the coming years with high-end technology. It’s very ambitious to build this new sporting brand and to make it known outside of France everywhere in the world.

“The project which has been presented, at the beginning of the week, to the staff representative in Viry-Chatillon is to reallocate the resources from one side to another – one side being the development of the Formula 1 power unit, which is already being made in Viry – to dedicate those resources and skills to developing new technologies for the new products of the brand.

“One of the consequences of this project, if it’s accepted, would be for the Alpine F1 team to buy a power unit instead of developing its own power unit and then, we’ll have more resources to develop the brand and a different power unit to race with for the Formula 1 team.”