McLaren gets latest Mercedes F1 engine two races after works team
Both McLaren drivers will get the latest specification of Mercedes Formula 1 engine at this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, two rounds after it debuted aboard the factory Mercedes cars.
Kimi Antonelli and George Russell received a new specification of Mercedes power unit in Austria, which featured a number of reliability improvements. Its other customers Alpine and Williams ran the new version at Silverstone one week later.
McLaren did not swap to it at the Red Bull Ring or Silverstone because it still had mileage to use on its existing power units, having already cycled through many components because of reliability issues in 2026 so far - including the two distinct battery issues that prevented Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri from starting the Chinese GP in March.
For the Belgian GP, both McLarens will have the latest power unit for the first time along with a brand-new rear wing that will be "tested and evaluated in Friday's practice sessions".
McLaren previously brought its version of a revolving 'Macarena' wing to Austria and intended to trial it in practice, but it abandoned plans to run it on track.
"Our preparation has been thorough, using extensive simulation work to get ahead of what we know will be a very demanding weekend for energy management," McLaren's technical director of applied engineering Neil Houldey said.
"We're arriving at Spa with a new rear wing assembly, an upgrade we've had in the pipeline as part of the car's development pathway.
"We're confident that this update will add a bit of performance to our car, but we are fully aware that after a difficult British Grand Prix, mainly in terms of pure performance, even this round won't be that easy, so we won't be expecting any big change in terms of competitiveness."
McLaren has planned what it describes as a "significant" package for the Hungarian GP, having admitted it is now "redirecting" from its original concept choices.
