News Summary
- Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has denied that the manufacturer is holding serious discussions about supplying another Formula 1 team, following speculation linking its Ford-backed engines to Aston Martin from 2028.
- Red Bull Powertrains is focused on supplying Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls, with Mekies admitting that the company must improve engine performance and integration before expanding.
- Aston Martin continues backing Honda despite its difficult 2026 season, while the Japanese manufacturer has outlined further improvements for 2027.
Red Bull has denied being involved in serious negotiations to supply Formula 1 engines to Aston Martin, amid speculation that the British team could consider leaving Honda as early as 2028. Team principal Laurent Mekies said the Ford-backed power-unit operation is not ready to support another team, stressing that its immediate priority is improving engine performance and integration with the chassis.
The comments follow reports that Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll has been evaluating possible alternatives to Honda after a difficult first season under Formula 1’s 2026 regulations. However, Mekies stopped short of ruling out a future supply agreement, leaving open the possibility that Red Bull Powertrains could eventually expand beyond its current two teams.
Red Bull denies serious engine supply talks with Aston Martin
Speculation surrounding a possible partnership between Red Bull and Aston Martin emerged as the Silverstone-based team struggled with the performance of its Honda power unit.
According to reports published in August, Aston Martin had begun considering alternative suppliers if Honda failed to make sufficient progress during 2027.
Mercedes and Red Bull Powertrains were identified as potential options, with a change theoretically possible from the 2028 season.
However, when questioned during the United States Grand Prix weekend in Austin, Mekies denied that Red Bull was conducting serious negotiations with another Formula 1 team.
“Are we having any serious conversations with anyone to supply another team? No,” Mekies said.
The Frenchman explained that the strong early performance of Red Bull’s new engine had attracted interest from elsewhere on the grid.
However, he stressed that interest should not be confused with an active commercial agreement.
Red Bull already faces the challenge of developing and supplying power units for its factory operation and sister team Racing Bulls.
Adding another customer would increase its manufacturing, engineering and operational responsibilities.
For now, Mekies believes the project needs to become more competitive and mature before taking that step.
Mekies leaves possibility of future supply agreement open
Although Red Bull is not currently negotiating a new engine supply agreement, Mekies was careful not to close the door permanently.
Asked whether the situation would remain unchanged over the next five years, the team principal acknowledged that he could not predict the manufacturer’s long-term plans.
His position leaves a distinction between the immediate future and what might become possible in subsequent seasons.
Red Bull does not intend to add another customer in the near term, but has not announced a permanent policy against supplying other teams.
Mekies also identified the technical reasons for the cautious approach.
The manufacturer must continue improving its power unit, refining its integration into the car and closing the gap to the strongest competitors.
The current operation combines Red Bull Powertrains’ engineering resources with technical support from Ford.
Although its first season has delivered encouraging results, the manufacturer is still developing its understanding of the new Formula 1 engine regulations.
Mekies believes those priorities must come before any expansion of its customer programme.
Why Aston Martin has been linked with Red Bull engines
Aston Martin entered 2026 with Honda as its exclusive works power-unit partner, ending its previous relationship with Mercedes.
The arrangement was intended to provide closer technical integration between the chassis and engine, giving the British team greater control over its long-term development.
However, the partnership has encountered major difficulties during its first season.
Honda has struggled with combustion performance, reliability, turbo response and drivability.
Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll have consequently endured a difficult campaign, with the AMR26 generally unable to challenge the midfield consistently.
The problems have generated speculation about whether Aston Martin might eventually consider returning to Mercedes power or exploring a partnership with Red Bull.
The latter possibility has attracted additional attention because Adrian Newey, who now leads Aston Martin’s technical and sporting operation, spent almost two decades working with Red Bull.
Newey is familiar with the Milton Keynes organisation and its engineering structure.
However, those historical connections do not establish that negotiations are taking place.
Mekies’ comments indicate that Red Bull is not presently preparing to supply Aston Martin or another external customer.
Honda admits Aston Martin will remain behind in early 2027
The engine speculation has intensified because Honda itself acknowledges that its recovery will take time.
Chief engineer Shintaro Orihara recently outlined a two-stage development programme for 2027.
The manufacturer plans to introduce improvements for the opening race, followed by another substantial upgrade around the eighth round.
Even with the first set of changes, Honda does not expect to match the leading power-unit manufacturers immediately.
The Japanese company considers combustion performance its principal weakness.
Its engineers are working to improve efficiency and overall output while refining the relationship between the combustion engine and the electrical system.
Honda has also introduced organisational changes to strengthen its power-unit operation.
Those developments suggest that Aston Martin faces another period of technical recovery rather than an immediate return to competitiveness.
Nevertheless, the manufacturer retains the support of the British team.
Aston Martin insists Honda remains its long-term partner
Aston Martin has also sought to reduce speculation about an imminent change of power-unit supplier.
Chief trackside officer Mike Krack reaffirmed the team’s commitment to Honda during the Austin weekend.
He emphasised the long-term nature of the partnership and expressed confidence that the manufacturer could eventually help Aston Martin achieve its first victory.
The position is consistent with the approach taken by Newey, who has acknowledged Honda’s problems while continuing to support its development potential.
Aston Martin therefore faces a delicate situation.
The team needs substantial technical improvements to become more competitive in 2027, but abandoning a works partnership would create further complications.
A change of supplier could require significant modifications to the chassis, cooling systems, transmission integration and internal packaging.
Such a decision would involve much more than replacing one engine with another.
The fact that alternatives have reportedly been considered does not mean that Aston Martin has decided to terminate its Honda agreement.
No replacement power-unit supplier has been announced for 2028.
Red Bull’s own technical programme remains unfinished
Red Bull Powertrains has enjoyed a more competitive debut than many observers expected.
Max Verstappen has won two Grands Prix in 2026 using the Ford-backed power unit, while Red Bull has improved its competitiveness during the second half of the season.
The manufacturer has also performed strongly in the FIA’s evaluation of combustion-engine performance under the Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities system.
However, Mekies has repeatedly insisted that Red Bull has not completed its technical development.
The power unit still has areas requiring improvement, particularly in drivability and integration with the chassis.
The team has also identified weaknesses in other aspects of its mechanical package.
Those issues involve the interaction between the engine, clutch and gearbox.
The manufacturer therefore has several technical priorities as it prepares for its second season under the current regulations.
Supporting another team would add complexity to an operation already seeking improvements in performance and reliability.
That helps explain Mekies’ reluctance to expand the programme immediately.
Could Red Bull supply Aston Martin from 2028?
A future agreement remains theoretically possible, but neither team has confirmed that negotiations are under way.
Mekies has ruled out serious current discussions and indicated that Red Bull is not ready to expand beyond its existing commitments.
At the same time, he has not excluded the possibility of additional customers several years from now.
Aston Martin, meanwhile, continues publicly supporting Honda.
The Japanese manufacturer has a substantial development programme planned for 2027, giving the partnership an opportunity to demonstrate progress before any future decision.
For a potential 2028 change to become realistic, several questions would need to be resolved: Red Bull’s capacity to supply another team, Aston Martin’s willingness to change manufacturer, the technical integration of the new power unit and the commercial terms of any agreement.
None has been publicly settled.
The immediate focus for both organisations is the Mexican Grand Prix, scheduled for November 1.
Red Bull enters the weekend seeking to maintain its improved competitiveness, while Aston Martin and Honda continue working to reduce their performance deficit.
The technical challenges created by Mexico City’s 2,240-metre altitude will provide another demanding test for both manufacturers.
GRANDE PRÊMIO is following every session of the Mexican Grand Prix this weekend, with breaking news, full coverage and real-time updates in its Formula 1 section.
