McLaren has created a new technical division to maximize the performance of the Mercedes power unit in Formula 1. The initiative was taken after the team identified a disadvantage compared to the engine supplier at the start of the 2026 season.
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As a Mercedes customer, the Woking team realized that the new regulations brought unprecedented challenges to extract the best performance from the mechanical package. According to the British team’s technical director, Mark Temple, the response was to form a group dedicated exclusively to understanding the power unit’s operation and seeking ways to optimize its performance.
In an interview with McLaren’s official website, Temple explained that this structure did not exist before: “There are new roles. We have a team dedicated to power unit performance now, something we didn’t have before. They are focused on understanding how to get the most out of the engine,” he said.
The director detailed that the new department will work together with race engineering, analyzing data obtained on track, as well as using the simulator and other development tools: “They will study track data and work with race engineering, but also use our simulator and offline tools to maximize our performance. It’s definitely a new skill set and a new way of working, because these are things we really didn’t need to worry about before,” he said.
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Temple also clarified how the relationship between McLaren and Mercedes works in the development of the power unit. Although the team can contribute suggestions about configurations and needs, the final decision remains with Mercedes and its engine division, HPP: “We have a considerable contribution, but ultimately, MGP has the final say with HPP about what happens. This should not be interpreted as if we are ignored, just that we are not in full control,” he added.
According to the technical director, contact between the teams is constant during race weekends and in preparation for each round, but not all developments arrive early enough to allow an immediate reaction: “When we find out what we have in hand, often there isn’t much time to react and respond, so part of what we are trying to do this year is build and improve our process to make this less of a limitation,” Temple concluded.
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