Mekies admits other teams are interested in Red Bull engines

While Williams and Aston Martin have been among the disappointments of the 2026 season, the Red Bull Powertrains power unit has certainly been one of its most positive surprises. Nobody doubted that Red Bull could build a good car even without Adrian Newey, but developing its own engine is an entirely different challenge. Yet the team in Milton Keynes has risen to that one too.

Former team principal Christian Horner’s brainchild has proved its worth. Red Bull came out on top in the comparison of internal combustion engines. A look at the telemetry from Austin also shows that, of all the suppliers, Red Bull is closest to Mercedes.

That has not escaped the attention of rival teams, and speculation emerged this week that some had expressed an interest in being supplied by Red Bull Powertrains. However, team boss Laurent Mekies dismissed the idea, saying the operation in Milton Keynes does not yet have the capacity to supply more than two teams.

“We got a lot of unwanted positive publicity about the performance of our engine, and that came with certainly attentions from a lot of teams,” the Red Bull boss said with a proud smile.

“Are we having any serious conversations with anyone to supply another team? No, we don’t think we are ready for that. Is it set in stone for the next five years? No, because I don’t know what’s going to happen in the next five years,” Mekies continued.

“We still have plenty of work to do to improve the power unit, refine its integration into the car and reach the level of the top competitors. Only then can we consider supplying another team alongside Racing Bulls. Nothing will change over the next year or so,” Mekies added.

Aston Martin to continue with Honda

The discussion comes amid further questions over the future of the partnership between Aston Martin and Honda. The Japanese manufacturer was desperately underprepared for its return to Formula 1. Team boss Adrian Newey also travelled to Austin with the team and faced a barrage of questions about Honda during his media duties.

Team owner Lawrence Stroll also flew to Sakura for a visit last week, prompting widespread interest in what he had discussed with Honda’s management. But when the prospect of an Aston Martin-Red Bull Powertrains partnership was put to Mekies and Aston Martin’s chief trackside officer Mike Krack, both looked surprised.

“I can only say we have a long-term partner, which is Honda, that by the way has done its 500th race this weekend. And I think we will be together also when we win our first race together,” Krack said firmly.

The speculation stemmed from a column by BBC journalist Andrew Benson, who wrote ahead of the weekend in Austin: “It is well known in F1 that Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll earlier this year explored the possibility of ditching Honda before deciding to stick with them following their difficult start to the season.”

That speculation was short-lived, however. There will be no changes of engine supplier for the 2027 season, at least.