Red Bull Formula 1 chief Christian Horner says Ferrari’s U-Turn over its position reg⛦arding a possible engine development freeze from 2022 is “positive news” for the sport. 

In the wake of Honda’s decision to quit F1 at the end of next year, Red Bull is pushing for a freeze on engine development in order to carry out its preferred plan to takꦏe over the Japanese𒐪 manufacturer’s IP and facilities from 2022 and beyond, rather than seek a customer supply deal.

Ferrari originally opposed the idea but has now changed its position on the matter so long as F1 brꦏings forward the introduction of its next power unit regulations by a year from 2026 to 2025.

Red Bull team principal Horner welcomed Ferrari’s support of a possible freezing of e🐻ngine development at the end of next season. 

"I think that's positive news f🌳or Formula 1," he told Sky F1. 

"I thin🍸k all the manufacturers, all the CEOs of the automot🐭ive industry, they all recognise the investment and cost of these engines.

"Particularly with the new technology coming for 2026, maybe 2025, it doesn't make sense to keep i♔nvesting hundreds of millions of dollars in these engines."

Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto also raised the prospect of converting the performance between engines, and Horner backed his comments, stressing that a system needs to be put in place to ensure that teams do not get locked int💫o any disadvantages. 

"There's got to be some kind of mechanism that if somebody has undershot, either over the winter or once during the season, have the ability to correct that," Horner expಞlained.

"Otherwise you൩'re locking in a disadvantage. But fಌrom a cost point of view, from our point of view, it's a very positive thing."

Horner believes that it wou😼ld be logical for Renault to join those in favour, including reigning world champions Mercedes. 

"One would have thou🧔ght that for Renault it would have b👍een completely logical as well," Horner said.

"Let's see. It's encouraging ꦛto hear that Ferrari are backing that position."

Renault’s executive director Marcin Budkowski said the French manufacturer is supportive of a freeze providing it is in the best interests of the sport and not just to sati🧔sfy R🧜ed Bull’s needs. 

“We were always pushing 🐼for a freeze before the introduction of a new sꦆet of regulations,” said Budkowski.

“If you have to develop tཧhe current engines and develop a new technology [at the same time] you don’t want to have to suddenly hire 100 people and put them on a new development while you continue developing your engine.

“We think it’s unreasonable to have two development program෴mes at the same time.

“We think the right way to do [a freeze] is roughly three years [before introducing 🔯ne📖w regulations], so at the time we were actually advocating such a solution.

“Interestingly, Honda was against it, against lim🌄iting dyno hours, Honda was against freezing development, and obviously through the voice of Red Bull, who were then voting in the different governance committees.

“It’s interesting now Red Bull is very much in favour of a freeze and it’s interesting for us t൲o 🌼see.

“We’re not opposed to this as long as it is the right calendar. The regula𝓰tions, as are set today, and until they change that’s what applies, is we’re severely restricting development from 2023, almost akin to a freeze, as there’s no more development allowed on ICEs in 20🎶23, and the new set of regulations [are scheduled] for ‘26.”