Red Bull hints at TAG engine branding for 2016

Red Bull has dropped its biggest hint yet that it could have a power unit branded as TAG in 2016.

A partnership between Red Bull and TAG Heuer was confirmed late this season, bringing an end to TAG Heuer's 30-year association with McLaren. Part of that former relationship with the TAG Group saw McLaren's Porsche engines in the 1980s branded as TAG, with the team winning two constructors' championships and three drivers' titles from 1984-1986.

With Red Bull agreeing a deal to continue with Renault power units next season, part of the negotiations centred around a rebranding for the engines with Red Bull keen to have more input in development. Team principal Christian Horner hinted at a TAG power unit to the BBC in Abu Dhabi, saying: “I know that I have an agreement for a supply of an engine next year.

"Wait and see what it is called, it will be something quite good. I don’t think Ron Dennis will be too happy, but then he has not been very happy recently.”

Red Bull has now dropped a further hint at TAG branding after tweeting the image of an RB11 without an engine, along with the text "Swiss engineering to close the gap next season".

Swiss Engineering to close the gap next season. @TAGHeuer #DontCrackUnderPressure pic.twitter.com/Orx2odPFBw

— Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) December 3, 2015

TAG Heuer's official twitter account responded to queries regarding a TAG engine by saying more information would be revealed on Friday.

Any branding deal would be different in nature to the McLaren partnership of the 1980s as the TAG Group - which retains a stake in the McLaren Group - sold TAG Heuer in 1999. It remains to be seen if a TAG branded engine is possible or if Red Bull team is merely playing with McLaren after Ron Dennis told Horner to "suck it up" at an F1 Commission meeting ahead of Abu Dhabi.