Red Bull rule out new F1 engine customer for now as Aston Martin stand by Honda

Red Bull have played down talk that they could become Aston Martin's engine supplier, with team principal Laurent Mekies saying the in-house power unit project is not ready to take on another customer. The comments came in the build-up to this weekend's Mexico City Grand Prix, as Honda laid out its plan to drag Aston Martin out of a difficult first season under the 2026 rules.

What Mekies said

Speculation has swirled since the summer that Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll was examining alternatives to his exclusive Honda deal, with 2028 cited as the earliest realistic switch point. Red Bull Powertrains, built with Ford, has been the name most often linked.

Mekies denied that any serious talks are under way with a rival team. He said Red Bull still have work to do on both the power unit itself and how it is packaged in the car before they could supply anyone beyond their sister team Racing Bulls. He would not rule a deal out over a longer period, but was clear that nothing will change in the next year or so.

Red Bull's engine has been rated the strongest combustion engine of the five manufacturers under the FIA's additional development and upgrade opportunities (ADUO) system, a ranking Red Bull itself has questioned. Aston Martin's team boss and managing technical partner Adrian Newey spent almost two decades at Red Bull, which has added fuel to the rumours.

Aston Martin's position

Aston Martin have not directly denied exploring options, but chief trackside officer Mike Krack backed the current partnership. "We have a partner, a long-term partner, which is Honda," he said.

The need for answers is clear. Aston Martin have scored only seven points all season, all of them from Fernando Alonso, and sit tenth of 11 teams in the constructors' standings, ahead of only newcomers Cadillac. Reported problems with the Honda unit have included a lack of power, heavy vibrations, turbo lag and drivability issues.

Honda's two-step plan for 2027

Honda chief engineer Shintaro Orihara has outlined how the Japanese manufacturer intends to respond. Under the ADUO mechanism, Honda is entitled to two upgrades for 2027 to help it catch up with rivals.

The first step is aimed at the opening round of 2027 and will make small changes to extract more power from combustion while relying less on the battery. Orihara identified combustion as Honda's main weakness. A second, larger step is targeted for mid-season, possibly around round eight in Monaco, a target Orihara attributed to Newey.

History lessons

The situation recalls McLaren's switch from Mercedes to Honda power in 2015, which was followed by around three difficult seasons before McLaren moved to Renault engines in 2018. Honda then improved rapidly with Red Bull, eventually powering Max Verstappen to his world titles. That precedent is often cited as a case for patience with a manufacturer still finding its feet.

For now, any change for Aston Martin appears years away, and Red Bull's own focus remains on fixing the issues within its own operation, including a clutch problem Mekies admits will need hardware changes next year.

Key takeaways

• Mekies denied serious talks to supply engines to a rival, saying nothing will change in the next year or so.
• Aston Martin have seven points in 2026 and remain publicly committed to Honda.
• Honda plans two ADUO upgrades for 2027: one for round one and a bigger step around Monaco.
• Combustion performance is the weakness Honda has identified.

FAQ

Q: Will Aston Martin use Red Bull engines?

There is no deal. Reports suggest 2028 is the earliest possible switch, but Red Bull say they are not ready to supply another team.

Q: What is ADUO in F1?

It is the FIA's additional development and upgrade opportunities system, which gives manufacturers that are behind extra chances to upgrade their power units.

Q: When will Honda's Aston Martin upgrades arrive?

The first is planned for the first race of 2027, with a bigger step targeted around mid-season.

Sources: PlanetF1, RacingNews365, Crash.net