McLaren Racing and Mercedes-Benz today announced that the McLaren F1 team will continue to enjoy Mercedes-AMG power from 2026 to 2030, thereby becoming the brand’s first customer for the new 2026 power unit regulations alongside the works team.
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McLaren has been powered by Mercedes-AMG since 2021 and continuously in a previous era from 1995 to 2014. 2026 will, therefore, mark the 26th year of collaboration between the two prestigious brands, which have committed to and invested in the sport over many decades and are now cornerstones of the sport.
“We are delighted to continue our partnership with McLaren Racing until at least this decade’s end. The long-term nature of this agreement reflects our shared trust and commitment to our future power unit strategy. Together, we look forward to building momentum towards 2026 and the beginning of another new era of an electrified innovative power unit design in Formula One.”
Markus Schaefer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Chief Technology Officer
Mercedes powered the first ever hybrid race win in F1 at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix with the KERS system and has led the way in innovation and performance since introducing the current power unit regulations in 2014. Mercedes-AMG has powered 114 victories in 203 Grands Prix, including two for customer teams. Strong customer teams, alongside the works team, have played a key role in development and learning.
“Working with strong customer teams has been a cornerstone of our motorsport strategy. This has many advantages: it gives a clear competitive benchmark, accelerates our technical learning, and strengthens the overall F1 business case for Mercedes-Benz. McLaren has been a fierce and fair competitor since 2021, especially in the second half of this season. McLaren’s strong performances underline the importance of transparent and equal supply to all sports’ customer teams if we wish to achieve the goal of ten teams capable of fighting for podium finishes.”
Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
For 2026, Formula One will welcome two new power unit manufacturers to the current four incumbents as it tackles another paradigm shift in technical regulations. The new power units will enjoy 50% internal combustion and 50% electrical power. This has been achieved by increasing electrical performance and rebalancing the internal combustion engine’s performance to deliver a maximum output of over 1000 horsepower.
The new power units will run on 100% sustainable fuel – conforming to strict sustainability criteria in both its production and formulation – and reduce fuel consumption. The electrical systems on the power unit have been taken to the next performance level, and it will feature a single 350 kW electric motor – which is nearly three times more potent than the current MGU-K and will require the development of a suitable high-performance battery system.
Furthermore, the development of the new generation of power units will occur under cost cap regulations, designed to limit maximum technical spending on the project and consolidate the investment case for power unit supply in the sport.
“The team at HPP enjoys a long and successful history with McLaren, and we’re delighted to confirm the extension of the relationship into the new regulation cycle. Securing this agreement now, with two full seasons until we race the 2026 power unit, allows us to optimise our combined efforts for lap time. We look forward to renewing our relationship and working together towards that goal.”
Hywel Thomas, Managing Director, Mercedes-AMG High-Performance Powertrains
Looking ahead to 2026, the new power unit has been developing since mid-2022 at Mercedes‑AMG High Performance Powertrains in Brixworth, UK. This high-performance R&D centre has produced every Mercedes-AMG F1 powertrain. Still, it is also a cutting-edge development facility for the broader group regarding high-performance electric propulsion technology. Preparation for 2026 is a long-term game in which clarity and continuity will be essential, and a healthy portfolio of the best possible customer teams will deliver faster learning when the cars hit the track in 2026.
“Mercedes-Benz has been a brilliant and reliable partner of the McLaren Formula 1 team. The extension signifies our shareholders and the wider team’s confidence in their powertrains and the direction we’re taking with them into the new era of regulations ahead. We have been successful together in the last three seasons, and when they previously powered the team, we look forward to the success as we continue our journey to fight consistently at the front of the grid.”
Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing
McLaren Racing and Mercedes-Benz started collaborating in 2021. Since then, the team has won the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, the most recent victory for any customer team in Formula One. McLaren has scored 15 Grands prix podium finishes in the past three seasons, as well as a pole at the F1 Sprint in Brazil and a pole and victory in the F1 Sprint in Qatar this season.
“We are pleased to confirm a long-term renewal of our power unit deal with Mercedes-Benz into the new era of regulations. We have great confidence in Mercedes and our relationship with them. They’ve supported our journey back to the front of the grid so far, and the security and stability this partnership brings are vital in ensuring we remain on this upward trajectory. I want to thank them for their collaboration so far, and we look forward to the years to come.”
Andrea Stella, Team Principal, McLaren F1 Team
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