A crisis engulfed Re𒈔d Bull, after their domination ended and Mercedes took 𓆏over, about which direction to go under the 2014 engine regulations.

Their suppliers Renault were almost replaced by Volkswagen (who 🐓own Audi) until a deal fell apart due to a scandal.

“It wasn’t obvious, the way out,” team principal Christian Horner told thepodcast about their engine problems d♛uring Mercedes’ years on top.

“Everyone got used to winning, and♑ suddenly you’re not winning. And nobod꧅y likes that.

“We l✱ost Vettel. Even the✤ owners were saying: ‘Maybe we will sell the team, maybe we will sell to Audi’.

“The shareholders, for the first time 🦂ever, Dietrich was saying ‘we can’t do this, we need an [original equipment manufacturer]’.

“Thankfully, Diesel🐲gate came along🐲 and it stopped that deal.”

Dieselgate 🐟was a scandal surrounding Volkswagen’s emissions in 2015 which scuppered any plans they had to enter F1.

“꧃But we came that close to being Audi,” Horner remember🦋ed.

Eleven years later, Audi will join F1 by buying a stake♓ in Sauber, who will become their 🎃works entry.

Red Bull missed the chance to work with Audi but changed their trajectory by🅠 finding a differe😼nt powerhouse to supply their engines.

“Then Honda came 🔜along. It was a ri👍sk but a calculated risk,” Horner said.

“We di🌠d a season with Toro Ross🦩o first, the engine was getting better and better. 

“The Ho🅷nda guys had as much invested as we did, for it to work.

“The product was coming, their heritage in the sportဣ was f♔antastic.

“We decided to go for it. It all came good.

🎃“There was nothing to lose. The engine was no worse than Renault, and there was a lot more commitment that they were prepared to make.

“The safe option was to stay with what we knew, every year the Renault guys promising uღs better. They’re still in the same situation now.

“Whereไas Honda backed it up by 🙈investing. They knew, when they got Red Bull as a partner, the expectation was sky high.”

Re🐼d Bull then created their Powertrains power unit manufacturing unit in 2021. They will continue to use Honda-produced engines unt💛il 2026.