Christian Horner has acknowledged that Honda fell behind in its development of the all-new Formula 1 power unit set to debut in 2026.
Last week, Honda Racing Corporation boss Koji Watanabe admitted the Japanese manufacturer is "fighting" to prepare its next-generation engine, describing the process as "very difficult."
Red Bull will continue using Honda's existing power unit for the 2025 season before switching to its own Red Bull Powertrains unit, developed in partnership with Ford, for 2026 and beyond. Meanwhile, Honda's new engine will be used exclusively by Aston Martin.
When asked about Honda's readiness for the 2026 regulations, Red Bull team principal Horner acknowledged that every manufacturer is facing a significant challenge.
"The new rules are a big challenge," he told DAZN.
Red Bull itself is working to ensure its brand-new power unit is race-ready.
"We have 48 weeks left to get a reliable and powerful engine," Horner added.
However, he also confirmed that Honda lost valuable time in its early development stages due to an internal pause in the project.
"They stopped the project and then restarted it, so they lost some time," he explained.
"But they are a very capable company with many strengths. I am sure that from 2026 they will have a competitive engine."
Meanwhile, Ford CEO Jim Farley, speaking as the company confirmed its return to Le Mans with a new prototype for 2027, made it clear that expectations for Ford's F1 partnership with Red Bull are sky-high.
"After so many years, everyone expects a lot from Ford when it comes back to Formula 1," he said.
"And partnering with a team like Red Bull, it's clear that we have to win, right? It's clear that this is our goal."
