McLaren has found renewed success over the past two seasons in no small part thanks to the Mercedes power unit that has powered them since 2021. 

The rules of Formula 1 have just changed for 2026 onwards, but there are already conversations about the return to every F1 fan’s dream engine, the V-8. FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has spoken about the FIA’s desire to make the switch by 2031 if not in 2030. 

With the expected onset of V8 engines, there is a simplification of the power unit regulations that several teams do not want to enter because of the technicalities. Ben Sulayem hinted that McLaren could be a team that welcomes the V8 change.

“I believe when we will introduce it, I feel even McLaren will do their engine. They wouldn’t be going to others. Because now they are going to others to do it is because it is a complicated unit. They said, ‘We better go and buy what is available than go and introduce a new engine,’” said the FIA President. 

McLaren CEO Zak Brown also confirmed that it would be the direction McLaren looks at in the future. “If you got an engine formula that was financially viable then, yeah, we would consider it and the technology,” said Brown while being interviewed at the Indy 500. 

McLaren has been using Mercedes engines since they switched from Renault at the end of 2020. The contract will see Mercedes supply engines to McLaren till at least 2030, the proposed year that Ben Sulayem would like to see V8 engines return to Formula 1. 

With 2 constructors and 1 driver titles with the Mercedes engine, Zak Brown said, “We couldn’t be happier with Mercedes, so yeah, if something is presented to us that first financially makes sense, then we’ll have a look at it. 

While talk of the V8 engines’ return is exciting, it's best saved for the future, given the amount of buzz around the current 2026 regulations, which have seen Max Verstappen threaten to quit the sport twice. 

Brown says 1000 magnifying glasses on Formula 1

While there have been some initial changes to the regulations in the month between the Japanese and Miami GP, most believe the regulations need a larger change going into the 2027 season. Still, power unit manufacturers are not all on board for wholesale changes.

Teams that have nailed the regulations will feel that major changes will mean they start from zero once again. Brown said while there are issues, the product as a whole is more appealing to a fan. 

“So the racing is great, like if you didn’t hear the drivers and were just watching on TV, the TV product is great. There’s passing, five different leaders in Miami, passes for the lead, so I think the fans watching the race are going, ‘that’s a d*** exciting race.’”

Brown believed the criticism of the rules comes because it's newer and drivers may not have adjusted to it yet, but also, there is a larger scrutiny now on the regulations. 

“It’s to an extreme that the majority of the drivers don't enjoy it it’s racing… So it think that will smooth itself out, and I think everything in Formula 1 has a magnifying glass of 1000 on it.”

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Written by

Debrup Chaudhuri