McLaren to finally receive Mercedes reliability engine upgrade at Belgian GP

McLaren confirms Mercedes engine upgrade for Spa

McLaren will finally receive Mercedes’ latest Formula 1 power unit at this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, becoming the last of Mercedes HPP’s four customer teams to take the updated engine.

McLaren’s decision to wait had prompted questions during the Silverstone weekend. Andrea Stella said Alpine and Williams were more “in need” of the engine at that stage, while Zak Brown explained that the timing did not make sense for McLaren within its power-unit usage cycle. The team had also endured recent reliability concerns, including Lando Norris’ battery issue in Monaco and power-unit glitches that prevented both McLarens from starting in China.

New ICE and rear wing also planned

Both Norris and Oscar Piastri will use a new internal combustion engine in Belgium. It will be their third example of the season, with each driver allowed four engines without a grid penalty. McLaren will also evaluate a new rear wing during practice.

The team previously brought a “Macarena” style rear wing to the Austrian Grand Prix but chose not to run it because of concerns. The Spa assembly is described as an upgrade that forms part of the MCL40’s development path.

Applied engineering technical director Neil Houldley said McLaren had prepared extensively through simulation for what he expects to be a demanding weekend, particularly in terms of energy management.

McLaren expects progress, not a transformation

Houldley said the rear-wing update should add “a bit of performance” but cautioned that it would not produce a major change in competitiveness after the team’s difficult British Grand Prix, where pure performance was the principal concern.

He also described the Belgian Grand Prix as “incredibly challenging” from an energy-management perspective. McLaren anticipates significant energy demands, while an unpredictable forecast could create an opportunity to run the car in wet, low-grip conditions and gather valuable data for the remainder of the season.