McLaren reportedly interested in Red Bull Powertrains supply for 2026 despite recent war of words

McLaren might be looking to get a Red Bull Powertrains supply as Mercedes considers to get Alpine on board as a customer in 2026.

McLaren reportedly interested in Red Bull Powertrains supply for 2026 despite recent war of words

Andrea Stella, Lando Norris and Max Verstappen (via IMAGO)

Formula 1 will go through a major rule change in 2026. The sport will introduce new power units with more power coming from the electrical components. As such, any manufacturer could gain a big advantage that year. This has raised concerns over few customer teams including McLaren who want to have the best engine for the new regulations.

McLaren used to be the works team of the Silver Arrows before their entered the sport with their own team in 2010. Albeit, the Woking based team have been using Mercedes power units since 2021 after their partnership previously ended in 2014. The Woking-based team . McLaren CEO Zak Brown even extended the new supply deal till 2031. However, Brown’s squad is concerned over rumors of Alpine trying to get a Mercedes supply for 2026.

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As per reports, Zak Brown explored the possibility of a potential Red Bull Ford Powertrains supply for McLaren in 2026. The American recently mentioned that he has strong ties to Ford. Brown had previously even visited the Milton Keynes factory before extending with Mercedes. With the recent circumstances, McLaren seem interested in perhaps breaking away from the Silver Arrows. However, the Woking-based team had publicly hit out at Red Bull following Max Verstappen’s incident with Lando Norris at the Austrian GP.

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I have a great relationship with Jim Farley (Ford CEO, editor's note). We met last year and then visited the factory. That was before we decided to extend with Mercedes.
Zak Brown said, as reported by Auto Motor und Sport

Mercedes customer teams warn Alpine over potential supply deal

Mercedes was the best manufacturer in F1’s turbo hybrid era. For 2026, the Silver Arrows lost Aston Martin as its third customer after the Silverstone-based team joined forces with Honda. This potentially left a vacant spot which Alpine reportedly wants to fill in. However, Mercedes’ current customers are not on board with this just yet.

Williams team principal James Vowles
Williams team principal James Vowles, via IMAGO

Williams team boss James Vowles highlighted that the Grove-based squad has already been working with Brackley to develop the right package for 2026. Subsequently, Vowles made it clear that Alpine would be months behind development even if the French team decides to become a Mercedes customer for the new regulations.

We have been working on the right concept for our car for a long time - and in consultation with Mercedes. No matter what you do, you will be at least six to twelve months behind in development.
James Vowles stated during the British GP

Certainly, Alpine’s plans of potentially ditching its own power units seem to be shaking up the entire paddock. McLaren and Williams might not be willing to have another customer at Mercedes. Moreover, even if McLaren decides to look elsewhere, Red Bull has previously stated that it is unlikely to supply customer engines for the short-term.

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