Will Red Bull supply McLaren with power units following senior move?

The recent announcement of Rob Marshall’s transition to McLaren may have deeper implications than initially thought. 



While negotiations between Red Bull and Ferrari over the release of Laurent Mekies to Alpha Tauri in 2024 are ongoing and contentious, McLaren secured a key member of Red Bull’s staff amicably, taking Rob Marshall.



With no resolution having been reached between Red Bull and Ferrari after the Italian team criticized AlphaTauri’s announcement of Mekies as the Faenza outfit’s new team principal, the two teams appear locked in a standoff. 



AlphaTauri’s departing boss Franz Tost revealed in Barcelona that the team has a backup plan if Ferrari continue to block Mekies from departing this year: “If Laurent is not coming, then at least we have Peter Bayer.” 







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Ferrari’s team principal, Frederic Vasseur, confirmed that Laurent is still associated with Ferrari and stressed the need for a deal with Red Bull and AlphaTauri.



However, when it comes to Rob Marshall’s impending move to McLaren as chief designer, a positive atmosphere has been maintained in the paddock, with a well-coordinated press release announcing the news. 



McLaren team principal Andrea Stella acknowledged the respect shown by Red Bull towards Marshall, stating: “I think at Red Bull, they know very well the role that Rob played over time, and I think this invokes respect for people.”



World champion Max Verstappen also expressed support for Marshall’s departure, highlighting his role in future projects, particularly those related to 2026. 



“He was already more on future projects anyway, for 2026. I find it difficult to estimate how much it will matter because everyone else who is working on that new generation of cars is still there,” Verstappen said.



Verstappen concurred with Dr Helmut Marko’s suggestion that Marshall was likely enticed by a significant financial offer. 




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“If someone receives such an offer, I of course understand that he will switch,” Verstappen added. 



“I think he is already in his 50s, so he’ll be earning well for a few years, and of course, I understand that.”



Amidst the latest move in the paddock, a new rumour has emerged that suggests that Marshall’s move to McLaren might be part of a broader deal involving Red Bull Powertrains supplying engines to McLaren starting from 2026 and extending into the future. 
The post Will Red Bull supply McLaren with power units following senior move? appeared first on Formula1News.co.uk .