Aston Martin linked with surprise Red Bull engine deal

Is Aston Martin contemplating an unexpected escape route from its troubled Honda partnership? Paddock whispers suggest the Silverstone outfit has discreetly sounded out Red Bull about a possible power unit supply deal.

If the speculation has substance, it would represent a striking twist in Formula 1’s new engine era.

Red Bull has spent years buying its way through the power unit market, but its first in-house creation, developed with Ford for 2026, is already attracting attention after delivering results few anticipated so soon.

Max Verstappen’s victories in Malaysia and in Singapore have given the fledgling Red Bull-Ford project a welcome early boost. And with Aston Martin enduring a dismal first season with Honda under the new regulations, the prospect of exploring alternatives is hardly far-fetched.

Still, a rumoured inquiry is one thing; persuading Red Bull to open its engine department to another rival is quite another.

Red Bull’s unexpected engine success attracts attention

Red Bull entered 2026 with a formidable technical gamble, taking responsibility for its own power unit for the first time while working alongside Ford.

Given the complexity of the new regulations, there were plenty of reasons to expect a painful learning curve.

But the bulls’ overall performance level and strong reliability, with both Red Bull Racing and Racing bulls, have put those fears to rest, and generated the kind of attention that Red Bull might have preferred to postpone until its project was more mature.

Team principal Laurent Mekies acknowledged that the engine’s early performance had put Red Bull Powertrains firmly on the radar of rival teams, although he stopped short of confirming any concrete approach from Aston Martin.

"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," said Mekies.

Mekies rules out an immediate deal

Mekies was unequivocal about Red Bull’s readiness to expand its customer base.

For now, the company’s priority is to perfect its own package and continue supplying its sister team, Racing Bulls, rather than take on the additional burden of equipping another constructor.

"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,” the Frenchman explained.

"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."

The immediate outlook, therefore, appears firmly closed. Red Bull has neither declared itself ready to become a wider engine supplier nor committed to doing so within a defined timeframe.

Mekies has, however, left open the possibility of a different arrangement further down the road.

Whether Aston Martin has genuinely tested the waters remains unconfirmed. But Red Bull’s early success has already changed the conversation around its engine programme, and the prospect of a future deal is no longer quite so implausible.

Read also: Red Bull admits RB22 launch problems will persist until 2027

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