Formula One team McLaren is exploring the possibility of a surprising engine alliance with Red Bull in what could be a game-changing move for the sport.
The PA news agency has been told that McLaren chief executive Zak Brown visited Red Bull Powertrains – the engine division of the team that last season dominated F1 – earlier this month to explore a potential deal.
On Wednesday, a Red Bull spokesperson confirmed to PA that Brown has been at their factory.
Honda supplies Red Bull’s engines, but the world champions will make their power units in 2026 to coincide with a significant overhaul of the sport’s regulations.
It was recently announced that American car marker Ford would also be involved in the Red Bull project, although primarily from an advertising perspective.
While talks between both McLaren, who are due to be powered by Mercedes for another three seasons, and Red Bull are at an early stage, Brown’s presence at Red Bull’s Milton Keynes headquarters was a surprise, given his strained relationship with rival boss Christian Horner following the cost-cap row which last year engulfed the sport.
Brown wrote a letter to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem to suggest that a breach of the sport’s financial rules constituted “cheating.”
The American did not specifically name Red Bull. Still, the apparent insinuation infuriated Horner and cast doubts over whether the two teams could work together.
In a bitter press conference to preview October’s U.S. Grand Prix, Horner, sitting alongside Brown, said he was “shocked and appalled” by the accusation of foul play.
Red Bull was later fined for overspending, although the FIA said they “did not act in bad faith, dishonestly or fraudulently.” Speaking at last season’s final round in Abu Dhabi, Brown said he stood by his letter.
McLaren is also understood to have been in dialogue with Honda as the Japanese manufacturer weighs up a formal return to F1 as an engine manufacturer in 2026.
Addressing McLaren’s plans at his team’s launch last week, Brown said: “We have time to decide what we want to do in 2026 and beyond. It’s something that (McLaren team principal), Andrea (Stella) and I are in the process of slowly reviewing. We’re not in a big rush and we are very happy with Mercedes.”
The PA news agency has contacted McLaren for comment.
The F1 season fires up in Bahrain next Sunday, with a three-day test in the Gulf Kingdom getting underway on Thursday.
