Red Bull addresses speculation surrounding Aston Martin F1 power units.
Red Bull's team principal Laurent Mekies has stated that the organization is not engaged in "serious discussions" regarding providing power units to another Formula 1 team, including Aston Martin.
The squad based in Silverstone has faced challenges with the performance of its power unit throughout the season, as its partnership with Honda has been under pressure. Currently, there are indications that Aston Martin may be exploring other options, including Red Bull and Ford.
This season, Red Bull's powertrain has been remarkably impressive, with the internal combustion engine recognized as the standard by the FIA, already achieving two wins with Max Verstappen behind the wheel. It would not be surprising to learn that other teams on the grid are showing interest in such performance. Speaking at the United States Grand Prix, Mekies acknowledged the interest but clarified that the power unit is not available for purchase.
“We received a lot of unsolicited positive attention regarding our engine's performance, which certainly attracted interest from numerous teams,” he remarked.
“Are we in any significant talks with anyone about supplying another team? No. We don’t believe we are prepared for that. Is it set in stone for the next five years? No. I cannot predict the future five years, but for now, we have plenty of work to do on our end to enhance the power unit and its integration within the car.”
Mekies emphasized that no one at Red Bull Powertrains considers the engine to be complete.
“I’m smiling because it would be hard to find anyone at RBPT who believes the engine is finalized,” he said. “There are countless driveability factors that we know we can improve upon, and we are confident we will make those improvements.”
Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
He further explained that maximizing the synergy between the engine and chassis was a primary reason for Red Bull developing its own unit.
“One of the key reasons for utilizing your own power unit is to aim for a competitive edge through its integration, and that’s the goal we are all striving towards.”
Aston Martin’s Mike Krack also attempted to downplay speculation, reaffirming the team's commitment to the Japanese manufacturer.
“I can only say that we have a partner, a long-term partner, which is Honda, that, by the way, celebrated its 500th race this weekend, and I believe we will be together when we achieve our first victory together,” he stated.
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