Red Bull’s Christian Horner confirms meeting about engine with McLaren’s Zak Brown: “A potential customer”
Red Bull Powertrains will supply the F1 constructors’ champions power unit from 2026, when the new r🍰egulations kick in, and have now held talks to work with McLaren too.
McLaren are currently powered by Mercedes’ High Perf𝓰ormance Powertrains (HPP) but the new engine regulations, and Honda’s exit from working with Red Bull, is causing a shake-up.
Horner teased: “With Zak, I though⛦t we were going for lun♈ch!
“But as a powe༺r unit manufacturer for 2026 it’s inevitable that discussions are going to be held regarding a potential powertrain supplier and it’s only natural that we would speak with potential customers.”
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said: “We have a solid partnership with HPP. At the same time, obviously looking forward you will understand what’s available. So I th🐼ink that’s natural [to talk to other potential partners]], it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise.”
Horner and Brown, towards the end of last season amid the F1 cost cap saga, were involve🔯d in an incredibly awkward joint press conference.
Brow🍌n had written a letter to the FIA complaining a🌞bout Red Bull’s “cheating”.
A furious Horner, sat besides Brown in fro🎃nt of the media, l❀ashed out saying he was “appalled” by the accusations.
But tensions have clearly simmered and Red Bull and 🍌McLaren could end up working together by 2026.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports ༺for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
