Mercedes has unveiled a reliability‑focused power unit upgrade ahead of Saturday’s Silverstone test, leaving McLaren without the new spec for now.
Mercedes’ technical upgrade relaunches the customer engine story
While Audi and Ferrari entered their first ADUO updates in Barcelona and Spielberg, Mercedes entered Austria with a fresh power‑unit specification crafted to curb the season‑long reliability failures that plagued the Works team, including Kimi Antonelli’s DNF at Barcelona.
McLaren’s engine strategy relies on mileage, not frustration
Alpine drivers Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto, as well as Williams’ Carlos Sainz, have already fitted the newest Mercedes unit for the practice session at Silverstone. McLaren is the sole customer not yet running the new specification, a state the team’s chief executive, James Brown, acknowledged in the Friday FIA press conference.
“We need the current Mercedes engine. We’re the only one without the new engine, which will be coming for us shortly,” Brown said. “Of course we’d like to have it. Anytime you have performance that you know is coming, but you don’t have it on your car yet, you want to get it as quickly as possible. But I wouldn’t say it’s a frustration. It is just what it is. We just keep our head down and keep pushing hard.”
Engine life and cycling determine upgrade timing
Brown explained that the decision hinges on the remaining life of the existing power units. Although Alpine has already switched two full units and Williams had to upgrade after Carlos Sainz’s issue, McLaren’s current engines still possess usable mileage. Alpine has accumulated the highest mileage among Mercedes customers, while Williams’ usage sits lower, explaining Alex Albon’s continued use of the older spec.
“You’ve got to cycle through your engines and we’ve got life left on our current engines, so we need to wait until we do an engine change. Williams got theirs because Carlos had his issue, so he needed an engine change… it’s just a timing sequence thing.”
Looking to Spa for the fresh power unit boost
With the three‑lap Silverstone session adding substantial mileage, Brown anticipates that Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will switch to the new Mercedes specification ahead of Belgium. Spa, a circuit notorious for its engine‑grading corners, makes a June upgrade logical.
Team principal Toto Wolff has long noted that installing a fresh power unit typically recovers several horsepower that diminish as a unit ages. McLaren’s own principal, Andrea Stella, cited drag as a key factor in the 30 % loss on straights relative to Mercedes‑equipped rivals.
“We’re investigating the damage further, but Stella acknowledges a significant drag component,” Brown added, underscoring McLaren’s commitment to shipping the upgrade soon for the Belgian round.
By the time McLaren reaches Spa‐Francorchamps, the customer’s shift to the new power‑unit specification will be strategic, aligning with Mercedes’ objective to fine‑tune reliability and competitive performance as the season converges on its climactic finale.
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