Is Horner hinting at a balance of performance during engine freeze here?

Although the introduction of a Balance of Performance for teams during the engine development freeze period did not seem to be in the cards, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner hinted at a similar solution today, one that will finally allow smaller teams to better catch up with the bigger players.

Not only did Horner announce the official takeover of the Honda engine project today, he also seemed to suggest that the much-discussed and perhaps controversial Balance of Performance might be introduced after all, albeit in a modified or unofficial form. The Balance of Performance, or performance safety net, sets a minimum and maximum performance for the Formula One engines, and could be used to prevent the bigger, richer teams from cementing their lead for three seasons from 2022 onwards, as further development of the engines will then be prohibited.

Asked about the possible introduction of a performance safety net, Horner responded today, quoted by Formel1.de: "So there is effectively a promise from every manufacturer that it will be dealt with. That is important. There's a clear understanding, especially at the top of each manufacturer."

"Even if nothing is in the rules, there is an agreement between the manufacturers with the FIA ​​that one as far as it goes, a manufacturer should be out of whack”, Horner said. However, official confirmation of this agreement is still pending, so we will have to wait and see.