McLaren and Red Bull have confirmed that they have discussed a F1 engine supply contract for 2026. Red Bull has registered as a new rule-compliant engine supplier to F1 in 2026 and is investing heavily in new powertrain divisions and facilities. This was a project Honda embarked on when it announced its withdrawal from F1.
Red Bull still has a Honda engine branded as the Honda RBPT, but its next-generation F1 engine will be partnered with Ford. McLaren has been a Mercedes customer team since 2018, but The Race reported last month that it was in talks with both former partners Honda and Red Bull Powertrain over a potential 2026 season. The talks with Red Bull were confirmed publicly by team principals from both teams at the F1 Bahrain Grand Prix press conference on Friday. When asked regarding McLaren CEO Zak Brown’s recent visit to Red Bull’s headquarters, team principal Christian Horner joked, “I thought you were there for lunch!” and asked Red Bull for an engine. He said it was “a matter of course” that he would be approached by F1 teams. “As a power unit manufacturer for 2026, it is clear that there will be discussions regarding possible powertrain supply, so it is only natural to talk to potential customers,” said Horner. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, who was seated next to Christian Horner, was happy to confirm that his team was considering the possibility of replacing Mercedes due to the new rules. “We have a strong partnership with HPP[Mercedes High Performance Powertrains],” said Stella. “At the same time, it’s only natural to want to look far ahead and understand what’s possible,” said Horner. , denied the value of bringing customer contracts to RBPT, saying, “I don’t see money from supplying customer teams right now. It’s not a lucrative business.” If a deal goes through and the Ford brand is also used for the RBPT customer engine, McLaren and Ford will line up on the F1 grid in 1993, following McLaren’s first partnership with Honda and a short-lived partnership with Peugeot ended. It will be the first time since the two spent a season together in 2018. McLaren was one of the majority of F1 teams to use Ford-badged Cosworth engines in the late 1960s and early 1980s, until it began a deal with TAG Porsche Turbo in late 1983. 30 Grand Prix wins with this engine.
