McLaren’s Formula 1 team is sticking with what works for the near future.
The team announced on Friday that it intends to continue to use engines from Mercedes as a customer team, extending its agreement with the Silver Arrows until 2030. That agreement will bleed into the new upcoming engine regulations for F1, which will take effect in 2026.
McLaren returned to its use of Mercedes engines in 2021 after previously being a customer of Renault. The initial deal extended until the 2024 season, but McLaren will continue to use Mercedes from 2026 to 2030. Regulations are set to change for engines in 2026, which features zero-carbon fuel emissions and a greatly expanded hybrid usage through the engine’s MGU-K, among other new regulations.
McLaren and Mercedes have signed a new power unit agreement from 2026 to 2030 #F1
— Chris Medland (@ChrisMedlandF1) November 24, 2023
The Mercedes era has been kind to McLaren over the last few years. The team got a race win in 2021 with Daniel Ricciardo at Monza and has finished in the top half of the constructors’ standings every year with the engine. As it stands in 2023, there’s a decent argument that McLaren is fielding a top-three car, as the team has come alive in the back half of the year.
Right now, Mercedes currently boasts the most customers on the grid, giving engines to McLaren, Aston Martin and Williams.
