Red Bull chief wants F1 drivers 'to speak their minds' amidst FIA's political ban: "We don't want a load of robots"

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner recently shared his thoughts on the FIA's new rule that bans drivers from making any political statements about global issues. This rule was imposed to align F1 with the regulations of the International Olympic Committee. While several drivers have spoken against the rule and want their freedom of speech back, Horner thinks there should be a balance.

Speaking at Red Bull's car launch event, he explained how the sport should not become a political tool and should aim to entertain and allow fans to escape from reality for some time. At the same time, he stressed that drivers and teams should have a say on certain world problems and should not become completely robotic. Horner said:

"There's a couple of ways of looking at it. Sport should never be used as a political tool and I think sport, in many ways, to entertain but also have an element of escapism."

He further added:

"We certainly at Red Bull have never constrained our drivers of their freedom of speech, or the ability to speak their minds because they do have a voice. I think it's a matter of finding a balance. In the world that we live in today, everybody has a voice and that shouldn't be suppressed. But of course, it does have to be done responsibly. So, we don't want a load of robots that are without an opinion going racing. Like with all things, it just has to be a sensible balance."

Horner also mentioned how Red Bull has never curbed its drivers' freedom of speech and allowed them to speak their minds. However, he constantly stressed that there should be a balance between using the sport as a platform to speak about global issues and simply focusing on racing.

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How will Red Bull and Ford partnership work after 2026

After Red Bull officially announced their partnership with Ford, Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Performance Motorsports, explained how the American giant will operate with the F1 team.

Speaking to Racer magazine, he explained how Ford will be working with the team in Milton Keynes and will provide technical expertise in combustion engine development and electric motor technology. Rushbrook said:

“The foundation of the Red Bull Racing team and Red Bull Ford Powertrains is in Milton Keynes. It’s really good seeing on that campus the very focused effort, because to put the best race car on the track and two in, you’ve got to have the best total car with the power unit integrated as part of it. So that all needs to live together.”

He further stated:

“Ford will provide technical expertise in all areas where it can add value to the front-running World Championship team. Areas to be explored together are in the combustion engine development and key developments like battery cell and electric motor technology, power unit control software and analytics.”

At the car launch event on February 3rd, the team announced their partnership with the American automotive giant, with Jim Farley, the president and CEO of Ford, joining the show as well. They will start working on the new power units that will be used from the 2026 F1 season.