McLaren could build its own F1 power units if rules, costs align

McLaren would consider building its own F1 power unit only if new engine rules and costs made it financially and technically viable, CEO Zak Brown told media at the Indy 500, including the Sports Business Journal. He said “the numbers have to add up,” and stressed the plan was conditional, not imminent. The team buys power units from Mercedes’ High Performance Powertrains (HPPT) and is contracted with Mercedes through at least 2030. McLaren has used customer engines for much of its modern history, including spells with Renault and Honda. Reports differ on when the McLaren–Mercedes customer tie began (either 1955 or 1995), but all accounts say it ended in 2014 and resumed in 2021. McLaren’s recent on-track success — winning the 2024 constructors’ title and the 2025 drivers’ and constructors’ crowns — gives the team commercial and technical leverage, and some coverage says it has outperformed the Mercedes works team since 2024. Brown’s comments came amid debate over the incoming 2026 power-unit rules. Regulators increased the hybrid-electric contribution from 20% to 50% in 2026, a change that drew driver criticism. A proposed 2027 change would shift to a 60-40 combustion-to-electric split and would need backing from at least four of the six manufacturers on the Power Unit Advisory Committee. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has promoted replacing the current V6 with a V8 around 2030-31. Brown defended the current on-track product, citing races such as Miami with multiple leaders and saying drivers and rule‑makers will adapt. Any decision by McLaren to build its own engines will depend on how the sport’s technical and commercial environment evolves.