What McLaren boss Zak Brown has done that left Red Bull surprised ahead of 2026 rule changes

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McLaren and Red Bull are engaging in a fresh rivalry at the front of the Formula 1 grid. The two teams were direct competitors in the early 2010s before the former dropped off.

That was the age of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button vs Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. Vettel won four straight titles, but McLaren were regular challenges, most notably in 2010.

Between 2012 and the 2021 summer break, the iconic Woking outfit didn’t win a single race. But after abandoning engine partnerships with Honda and Renault and reuniting with Mercedes, they’ve gradually made their way back to the sharp end.

A transformative mid-season upgrade allowed McLaren to challenge for the status of ‘best of the rest’ behind Red Bull in 2023. But this year, they’ve managed to develop their way onto a broadly even keel with the world champions.

Lando Norris beat Max Verstappen to win in Miami, and the two have since battled for victory in Emilia Romagna, Canada, Spain and Austria. Their scrap at the Red Bull Ring ended in a collision that took the Briton out of the race.

Martin Brundle was surprised that Norris adopted a conciliatory tone a week later in Silverstone, having initially demanded that the penalised Verstappen apologise. But CEO Zak Brown ‘went for’ Red Bull, in the words of Ted Kravitz.

Zak Brown surprises Red Bull by initiating engine talks

Brown accused counterpart Christian Horner of a ‘lack of respect’, citing Red Bull’s minor breach of the cost cap in 2021 and his much-publicised spat with Jos Verstappen. It was a dramatic illustration of the tension between the two teams.

Inevitably, then, the Red Bull camp were ‘surprised’ when Brown ‘knocked on their door’ over a potential engine supply deal, according to AMuS. McLaren have an agreement with Mercedes until 2030, but the American has been exploring alternative options.

It’s unclear whether that deal features break clauses, but Brown has been concerned by recent developments. Alpine are in talks with Mercedes over purchasing engines ahead of the 2026 regulation changes.

The Enstone outfit would be replacing Aston Martin in the Silver Arrows’ family, but McLaren and fellow customers Williams are worried that the deal could ’cause stability problems’. Red Bull are developing their own powertrains from 2026 through a partnership with Ford, and Brown has been in ‘regular contact’ about buying them.

McLaren told key engineer isn’t ‘strong enough’ to fight Max Verstappen

Red Bull may be torn on whether to do business with McLaren. On one hand, they will expect to remain closely-matched come 2026, and some may bristle at the idea of powering a rival.

But on the other, this hasn’t deterred Mercedes. And signing with a team of McLaren’s stature would be a significant statement for Red Bull Powertrains, who are only due to supply junior team RB as it stands.

Carlos Sainz expects Mercedes to have the best engine for F1’s new era, which is why he’s considering joining Alpine. Parting with the German giants would be a massive gamble for Brown and co.

They’re trying to build an operation that can end a title drought stretching back to 2008. To that end, Ralf Schumacher has warned that Lando Norris’ race engineer Will Joseph isn’t ‘strong enough’ based on recent events.

Brown seems more focused on parts than personnel right now. Meanwhile, Red Bull engineers fear that Sergio Perez could hand McLaren the constructors’ championship as he continues to struggle.