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Zak Brown Sets Key Condition for McLaren to Build Its Own F1 Engine
Highlights
- McLaren may start building its own F1 engines in future.
- FIA president supports returning to V8 engines by 2030 season.
- New engines would be louder, simpler, with less electrical power.
- McLaren open if engine formula is financially viable and competitive.
- Current McLaren engines supplied by Mercedes, no immediate change planned.
- 2026 engine rules changes will influence McLaren’s future engine decisions.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown says the team could build its own Formula 1 power unit in future if the business case is compelling, as debate intensifies over the next engine era.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has backed exploring a V8 return for 2030, favouring reduced electrical reliance and a simpler, louder package to improve spectacle.
Brown stresses McLaren remains open if the technology and costs align, while valuing its current engine supply from Mercedes and seeing no immediate need to change direction.
A works engine could deliver tighter packaging and strategic control, but demands major capital, specialist capability, and a long, risky development timeline to reach competitiveness.
FIA’s Mohammed Ben Sulayem supports a potential V8 return for 2030, with simpler, louder engines and reduced electrical deployment.
The 2026 regulations, and any evolution toward 2030, are pivotal. McLaren will assess options once the future engine formula and cost structures are defined in detail.
Drivers’ critiques this year focus on overtakes shaped by battery deployment rather than pace. Brown counters that events like Miami show the current rules can still produce strong racing.
“If you got an engine formula that was financially viable then, yeah, we would consider it,” says Zak Brown.
He frames hybrid deployment as another operating variable, akin to tyre or fuel management, arguing racing will improve as teams optimise energy systems.
Manufacturer interest in a simpler power unit could widen participation. For McLaren, the threshold is a sustainable budget and clear performance upside over remaining a customer.
Strategically, McLaren must avoid diluting a competitive chassis programme that has surged with its Canadian GP upgrade package while weighing long-term independence.
McLaren remains content with Mercedes power today but will reassess as 2026–2030 rules and costs crystallise.
Brown’s stance aligns with earlier calls for predictable governance and costs, including comments on FIA oversight and competitive balance this year.
McLaren will revisit the question once firm technical, financial, and supply details emerge. If the numbers stack up, an in-house power unit becomes a realistic pathway.
Visual Summary
McLaren considers building its own F1 engine
(if new rules make it affordable)
(if new rules make it affordable)
2026
Engine rules
change
change
V8?
FIA hints
return
return
🔊 Louder
Less electric,
more raw
more raw
Will McLaren shift gears
from Mercedes to engine builder?
Zak Brown: “If you got an engine formula that was financially viable, then, yeah, we would consider it.”
from Mercedes to engine builder?
Zak Brown: “If you got an engine formula that was financially viable, then, yeah, we would consider it.”
Now: McLaren powers on with Mercedes engines
But eyes are on 2026+ for a possible orange revolution.
Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.
