SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium -- Renault has confirmed talks have taken place with McLaren about an engine deal for next year and managing director Cyril Abiteboul says he remains open to the idea.
After three years using underpowered and unreliable Honda power units, McLaren is considering cutting its contract short and exploring other options with rival manufacturers. Both Ferrari and Mercedes have turned down a link up with McLaren, leaving Renault as the only alternative to Honda.
Renault already supplies three teams with engines -- the works Renault outfit, Red Bull and Toro Rosso -- and would have to gain permission from the FIA to supply a fourth. One option being considered is for Toro Rosso to take the Honda engine supply while McLaren replaces it as the third Renault-powered team on the grid, but neither Toro Rosso nor Honda are willing to confirm talks have taken place.
Speaking on Friday at Spa-Francorchamps, Abiteboul said supplying four teams was unlikely but that his company is still open to further talks with McLaren.
"Well, the situation is that we have multi-year contracts with Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso, so frankly we are open to discussions," he said. "I can confirm that there has been discussion with McLaren. But right now there is a restriction in the regulation, if we wanted to supply more than three teams first.
"And in addition to that, I don't think it would be reasonable to believe that we could supply more than three without degrading the level of service, the quality of the service for the other teams, so we've had discussions. Frankly, again, we have contracts in place.
"We value the relationship with Red Bull. It's a longstanding relationship and we would like to carry this relationship until its term in 2020 but if there is something to be done, why not? But right now understand that things are very quiet and certainly we are not necessarily proactively pushing for anything."
McLaren executive director Zak Brown was not willing to provide further details about his team's 2018 engine supply, but admitted a decision would have to be made soon.
"I think all racing teams right now -- whether it's McLaren or Toro Rosso or anyone else down the grid -- we're heading into 2018 so we need to be finalising all of our activities, whether that's driver, car design so that will be soon. As we all know, soon as the summer break is over it seems like it all starts to happen in Formula One."
Brown said he would be willing to give McLaren's blessing to a Toro Rosso-Honda deal and revealed that he had already discussed the possibility of a gearbox deal with Red Bull team boss Christian Horner should Toro Rosso secure a supply.
"We did bless the Sauber arrangement which we were officially asked to do and in fact started to get to work on a gearbox. I don't think it's appropriate for me to disclose any conversations we've had. What I would say is we would be very supportive of Honda having a relationship with Toro Rosso and have been asked by Christian if we would be in a position to help with a gearbox if asked, so I think that's about as far as I will go on sharing any conversations."