McLaren is taking a closer look at its reliability challenges after a promising start to the season was followed by setbacks in Canada and Monaco.
Key Highlights
- McLaren has raised concerns about reliability after a difficult run of races in Canada and Monaco.
- Team principal Andrea Stella believes customer teams face additional challenges compared to works manufacturers under the new 2026 regulations.
- Stella stressed that McLaren's partnership with Mercedes remains strong and that the team is not blaming its engine supplier.
- McLaren is conducting a broad review of its collaboration processes with Mercedes HPP to improve reliability and performance integration.
McLaren Reviews Reliability Concerns After Difficult Run
The team appeared to have made significant progress after securing a double podium in Miami following its first major upgrade package of the year. However, momentum has since been interrupted by a series of issues that have cost valuable results.
In Canada, McLaren's race was compromised by a strategic decision to start on intermediate tyres, while Lando Norris later retired due to a gearbox failure. Monaco brought further disappointment when the reigning world champion was forced out of the race because of a power unit problem.
Stella Highlights Challenges Faced by Customer Teams
Although Andrea Stella pointed out that each retirement stemmed from a different technical issue, he believes the incidents have exposed a broader concern regarding reliability. Rather than focusing solely on individual failures, McLaren is conducting a wider review of how it collaborates with Mercedes HPP.
The McLaren team principal acknowledged that the team has never previously felt disadvantaged by operating as a customer team. However, he suggested that the introduction of Formula 1's new 2026 regulations has highlighted some of the limitations compared to works teams that build both their chassis and power units in-house.
According to Stella, the issue is not about receiving lower priority support from Mercedes High Performance Powertrains (HPP). Instead, he explained that works teams benefit from tighter integration, faster information sharing, and greater flexibility when developing solutions or testing performance improvements across both the chassis and power unit departments.
McLaren and Mercedes Strengthen Collaboration
Stella explained that solving isolated problems is important, but the team must also improve the overall effectiveness of communication, data sharing, and technical coordination between the two organisations. This includes reviewing interactions between factory operations and trackside engineering teams, as well as strengthening development processes across the board.
The Italian revealed that discussions regarding closer collaboration have already been underway for several months. However, he acknowledged that Formula 1 development cycles require patience, meaning improvements cannot be expected overnight.
Zak Brown Open to Future Power Unit Ambitions
McLaren CEO Zak Brown has previously indicated that the team could consider developing its own engine programme in the future, similar to the path taken by Red Bull Powertrains. However, Brown has made it clear that such a move would only be considered if it could be achieved in a financially sustainable manner. For now, McLaren remains committed to maximising its partnership with Mercedes while exploring ways to strengthen operational cooperation.
Stella Defends Mercedes Amid Reliability Debate
Despite raising concerns about the challenges faced by customer teams, Stella was careful to avoid assigning blame to Mercedes. He noted that not every reliability problem has been linked to the power unit supplier. The gearbox issue that forced Norris out of the Canadian Grand Prix, for example, was entirely a McLaren responsibility.
Stella emphasised that the relationship with Mercedes HPP remains one of the strongest partnerships in Formula 1 and credited the collaboration for much of McLaren's recent success. While reliability improvements remain a priority, he reiterated that both organisations continue to work closely together to find solutions and improve performance moving forward.
