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Honda "very keen" to supply Red Bull with F1 engines - Horner

Christian Horner says Honda is "very keen" to supply Red Bull with Formula 1 engines, but the deal is being blocked by McLaren chief Ron Dennis

Bernie Ecclestone revealed at last weekend's US Grand Prix McLaren Group CEO Dennis did not want Honda to supply Red Bull, exercising a right of veto afforded to him by Honda in the wake of the two companies reuniting in F1 this season.

For Red Bull - set to split from Renault at the end the year - to receive a supply of engines from Honda requires agreement from both the Japanese manufacturer and McLaren.

Horner said: "I haven't spoken to anybody from McLaren other than Ron Dennis, who is the one guy who has the right of say there and his views were quite clear.

McLaren: No 'charity' for Red Bull

"Honda are very keen, but unfortunately they have a contractual status that is between them and McLaren that's nothing to do with us.

"It's for them to decide amongst themselves what they want to do."

While Dennis may have a veto, according to Ecclestone Honda also signed an agreement with the FIA and FOM that as a condition of re-entry into F1 it supplies one team in its first year, two in the second and three in the third, should there be demand.

On the subject of Honda's situation with the FIA and FOM, Horner added: "That's a discussion between those parties. I don't know. Ask them.

"We are not going to get involved. Bernie and Jean Todt [FIA president] have made their positions clear regarding the situation, so we rely really on them to deal with that."

Ferrari recently blocked a request to impose a maximum price a manufacturer could demand from a customer for an engine supply, set at €12million.

Horner has suggested in discussions with Dennis, Red Bull was being asked to pay considerably more.

"Obviously I'm not going to disclose confidential discussions, but let's just say it [the price requested] was nowhere near Jean Todt's target," said Horner.

Suggested to Horner seeing out Red Bull's contract with Renault was now the only option, he replied: "There are not a lot of options.

"There may be something else. We'll see."

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