Red Bull said it was not in talks to supply Aston Martin
NXTbets Pro | Published On: October 28, 2026
Red Bull talks
Laurent Mekies said the current Red Bull power-unit project remained focused on development rather than distribution, even as its performance had drawn interest from across Formula 1. He said the power unit was not for sale. Red Bull and Ford were still working to improve the engine and its integration with the car, with reliability and drivability among the areas that needed attention. The program was still in its first season, so Mekies said nothing would change in the next year or so. Interest had grown because of what the engine had shown, but Red Bull was not turning that attention into a supply deal.
Aston Martin pressure
Aston Martin’s engine problems had centered on its Honda power units, and the team’s poor results had fueled speculation about its future plans. The team had scored seven points and sat 10th in the Constructors’ Championship, a position that fueled rumors about whether it could eventually look elsewhere. That backdrop explained why Red Bull’s name kept coming up in discussion, even with Mekies rejecting the idea of talks. Mike Krack said Aston Martin remained committed to Honda as a long-term partner and expected the two sides to stay together when Aston Martin won its first race. Adrian Newey offered a similar balance of caution and confidence. He acknowledged Honda’s current deficit, but also said he saw a lot of promise in Honda’s new projects. The result was a clear split between the pressure around Aston Martin’s results and the team’s stated commitment to its existing engine path.
Red Bull development
For Red Bull, the story was less about outside interest than about how quickly the project kept moving forward. The work centered on the details that determined whether an engine project could keep pace over a full season, not just on its headline speed. Reliability mattered. Drivability mattered. Integration with the car mattered. Those were the areas Mekies said still needed work, and they were the reasons he said the next year or so would look the same as the present. That stance also fit the early view of the program’s potential. Red Bull Powertrains had already shown enough strength to stand out under the FIA’s ADUO system, but Mekies’ comments made clear that recognition was only one part of the picture. The other part was development, and that was where Red Bull said its attention stayed.
