Red Bull-Ford power for Aston Martin? Mekies holds back, Honda readies its response

An engine that gets people talking

In its first season as an engine maker, Red Bull Powertrains, developed with Ford, has already delivered wins for Max Verstappen. The unit powers Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls, and it is now drawing interest from other teams. So much so that its name is being linked with Aston Martin, whose marriage with Honda got off to a poor start.

According to GPblog, the British press is even questioning the future of Honda's F1 project, with Red Bull-Ford seen as the most serious option should the Japanese manufacturer walk away. RacingNews365, for its part, reports that some claims point to an engine switch as early as 2028. None of this is official: no decision has been announced and these scenarios remain hypotheses for now.

Mekies: not ready, but not closed

Laurent Mekies acknowledged that the engine's performance had caught the attention of several teams, a form of unsolicited positive publicity, as he put it. But the Red Bull Racing team principal was clear about the present: there are no serious discussions about supplying another team. "We don't feel we are ready for that," he explained.

He was careful, however, not to shut the door for good. Ruling it out for the next five years? No, he said in essence, since nobody knows what that period holds. The priority remains improving the engine and its integration into the car to catch the best, Mercedes first and foremost. An additional customer on top of Racing Bulls would only come after that, and nothing should change for about a year. A timeline that, RacingNews365 notes, fits the 2028 date mentioned in the rumours. Mekies did not directly deny talks with Aston Martin either.

There is a small paradox: again according to RacingNews365, the Red Bull-Ford engine was named the benchmark in the FIA's ADUO programme, which grants extra development opportunities to manufacturers who are behind. Red Bull disputes how the FIA reached that conclusion, given Mercedes' dominance.

Krack stands by Honda

At Aston Martin, Mike Krack did not explicitly deny talks with Red Bull. He preferred to point out that the team has a long-term partner in Honda, and insisted the two will still be together on the day of their first win. The Texas weekend did little to help: Lance Stroll had to start from the pit lane after an engine change, as Honda contested its 500th race.

Honda plans a two-step response

The Japanese manufacturer, for its part, is looking to 2027. Shintaro Orihara, head of trackside operations, has announced a first major upgrade for the season-opening Grand Prix, while admitting Honda will not yet be at the top by then. A second significant upgrade is planned around the eighth race, under the ADUO framework.

The diagnosis is clear: the deficit lies mainly in the combustion engine, not the electrical side. And the combustion engine's share is set to rise from 50% in 2026 to 58% in 2027, making combustion the top priority. Orihara puts it bluntly: it is the weak point, and the teams are working hard to improve it.

Honda is also reshuffling HRC's leadership: Koji Watanabe will hand the presidency to Keiichi Yasuda on 1 January 2027. Watanabe insists the move, which he was told about as early as late 2025, has nothing to do with this season's results.

For now, Aston Martin and Honda remain tied together, and Red Bull says it is not ready to become a supplier. But between Mekies' carefully chosen words and Krack's cautious silence, the question of an engine switch in the medium term has clearly been raised. The answer will largely depend on what Honda shows on track in 2027.