Yahoo Autos McLaren and Mercedes extend PU deal to 2030
McLaren will continue to be a Mercedes power unit customer under Formula 1’s next set of regulations, after signing a new supply contract to continue the relationship until 2030.
Mercedes has been the supplier to McLaren since 2020, and prior to that the two teams enjoyed significant success in the late 1990s and early 2000s, before the German manufacturer returned as a constructor itself. McLaren has been investing in its infrastructure in recent seasons and during the second part of this year has regularly been beating Mercedes on track, with McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown saying it shows the partnership doesn’t limit its performance potential.
“Mercedes-Benz have been a brilliant and reliable partner of the McLaren Formula 1 team,” Brown said. “The extension signifies the confidence that our shareholders and the wider team have in their powertrains and the direction we’re taking with them into the new era of regulations ahead.
“We have been successful together, both in the last three seasons and when they previously powered the team, so we look forward to the success to come as we continue our journey to fight consistently at the front of the grid.”
McLaren will be the only one of the current top six teams without a works partnership deal once Honda joins forces with Aston Martin in 2026, but team principal Andrea Stella says the continuity will prove to be a strength.
“We are pleased to confirm a long-term renewal of our power unit deal with Mercedes-Benz into the new era of regulations,” Stella said. “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 is vital in ensuring we remain on this upward trajectory. I would like to thank them for their collaboration so far and we look forward to the years to come.”
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says customer deals are important for the company from a commercial perspective as well as aiming to help ensure the most competitive grid possible.
“It has been a cornerstone of our motorsport strategy to work with strong customer teams,” Wolff said. “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 have been fierce and fair competitors since 2021, especially in the second half of this season.
“McLaren’s strong performances underline the importance of transparent and equal supply to all customer teams in the sport, if we wish to achieve the goal of 10 teams capable of fighting for podium finishes.”
The early confirmation of the five-year deal has benefits in allowing Mercedes and McLaren to work together on the 2026 regulations to ensure strong power unit integration, according to Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains managing director Hywel Thomas.
“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,” Thomas said. “Securing this agreement now, with two full seasons until we race the 2026 power unit, gives us a great opportunity to optimize our combined efforts for lap time. We are looking forward to renewing our relationship and working together towards that goal.”
