McLaren and Red Bull met for possible engine deal

McLaren is said to have contacted Red Bull about a possible partnership. According to The Independent McLaren CEO Zak Brown has visited Red Bull Powertrains' engine division to discuss a possible deal on engine supply.

McLaren will run Mercedes engines until 2025. A new engine regulation comes into effect in 2026 and so McLaren is currently looking at what options are available. It was already announced recently that exploratory talks are being held between McLaren and Honda. Now it seems that the same talks are also being held with Red Bull Powertrains.

Red Bull Powertrains' engine will be made in partnership with Ford from 2026. For now, sister team Alpha Tauri is Red Bull Powertrains' only customer team.

Talks are reportedly still at a very early stage. However, Brown is said to have already visited Red Bull's headquarters in Milton Keynes and visited the factory where the engine is being designed. Brown had previously indicated that McLaren currently wants to keep all options open and will not be in a hurry to secure a partner for 2026.