McLaren F1 boss Andrea Stella says there is "no link" between the team's recent hiring of Red Bull engineer Rob Marshall and a prospective engine supply deal with Red Bull Powertrains.
Marshall, who will take up his position with McLaren on January 1 2024, will head to Woking after 17 years with Red Bull Racing, most notably as the outfit's Chief Engineering Officer.
The Briton will work alongside Peter Prodromou and David Sanchez as part of McLaren's F1 Technical Executive team, will all three men reporting directly to Stella.
News of the hiring led to rumors of a possible quid pro quo between Red Bull and McLaren regarding a potential power unit supply deal.
Earlier this year, McLaren Racing boss Zak Brown paid a visit to Red Bull to hold exploratory talks with Christian Horner over a potential engine partnership with RBPT.
McLaren's current contract with Mercedes will expire at the end of 2025, and Brown is weighing his team's options for 2026 when F1 ushers in a new engine regulation platform.
Queried on a possible link between Marshall's move to McLaren and the team's engine plans, Stella made clear that there was no connection between the two.
"I can confirm there is no link," Stella told the media in Spain last weekend.
"We had conversations with Red Bull a few months ago as part of the due diligence in exploring what's available in the market in terms of power unit for 2026.
"But at the moment, we are quite advanced in our negotiations with HPP, so there's no conversation ongoing with Red Bull."
Stella also outlined how Marshall will boost McLaren's ambitions of returning to the front of the field in F1.
"Rob joins McLaren bringing a unique level of experience and know-how in terms of the engineering and design of Formula 1 cars," explained the Italian.
"We know that Rob has been instrumental in establishing such a strong technical department at Red Bull, so that’s what we expect he will bring to McLaren.
"We are extremely pleased that he is keen to do that, and he is keen to join McLaren as we take the team to the front of the grid."
The McLaren team boss added that Marshall will be a key component in the new three-pronged leadership structure of its technical department.
"Hiring Rob just consolidates the technical structure, with Peter Prodromou leading aerodynamics, David Sanchez will lead performance and concept, Rob will lead engineering and design, jointly with Neil Houldey [who] will be his deputy," he commented.
"I think we have put in place now at McLaren a very strong technical structure, but this is compounded by all the investments on infrastructure that are actually coming to fruition in these weeks and months.
"All these together puts McLaren with the conditions to actually being able, as I said before, to design Formula 1 cars that can compete for winning championships."
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