Zak Brown open to McLaren building its own engine if the numbers stack up

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has opened the door to the Woking outfit becoming a full works Formula 1 manufacturer — but only if the financial case for building a competitive power unit can be made to work.

Brown's comments arrive against a backdrop of growing momentum around a potential shake-up of the engine regulations, with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem having recently voiced support for a return to V8 engines with a reduced reliance on electrical power as early as the 2030 season. Several manufacturers have reacted positively to the idea, drawn by the prospect of a louder, simpler engine concept that could deliver a more engaging spectacle for fans.

For McLaren, currently supplied by Mercedes, the prospect of going it alone in the power unit space is not being dismissed. "I think if you got an engine formula that was financially viable then, yeah, we would consider it and the technology," Brown told SBJ. "That being said, we couldn't be happier with Mercedes. If something is presented to us that first financially makes sense, then we'll have a look at it."

The message is clear: McLaren's relationship with Mercedes remains strong, and there is no urgency to change course. But the suggestion that a more affordable engine formula could bring new manufacturers into play — or entice existing customer teams to go independent — adds a compelling dimension to the regulatory debate. Stefano Domenicali has also thrown his full support behind the V8 concept, signalling that the idea carries weight at the very top of Formula 1's governance structure.

Brown defends the current racing product

The engine formula discussion comes amid a wave of driver criticism directed at the current power units introduced this season. A recurring complaint has been the sense of helplessness in wheel-to-wheel combat, with overtaking increasingly dictated by which driver arrives at a straight with more battery energy in reserve rather than by pure on-track skill or mechanical grip.

Brown, however, pushed back on the notion that the racing itself is suffering. "The racing is great, if you didn't hear the drivers and were just watching on TV, the TV product is great," he said. "There's passing, five different leaders in Miami, passes for the lead, so I think the fans watching the race are going, 'That's a damn exciting race.'"

It is a distinction worth noting: the gap between what drivers feel in the cockpit and what viewers perceive from the grandstands or their screens. Brown appears to believe that, at least from a broadcast standpoint, the spectacle holds up — and that the teething problems are a natural part of any transition to new technology.

A learning curve, not a crisis

"I think what happened is with any new technology. We already saw it in Miami. We've seen the drivers are getting, A, more used to it and, B, the rules are getting more refined," Brown added. "We'll get them maybe not to a perfect place, but there's always been rule management, tyre management [and] now you have battery management."

The framing is one of evolution rather than emergency. Brown draws a parallel with the management disciplines drivers have always been required to master — fuel loads, tyre degradation, deployment strategies — and positions battery management as simply the latest variable to be absorbed into the craft of modern Formula 1 racing.

Whether the wider paddock shares that equanimity remains to be seen. But with the engine formula debate now firmly in motion, and figures like Brown signalling conditional openness to building McLaren's own power unit, the next regulatory cycle could reshape the competitive landscape of Formula 1 more dramatically than any in recent memory.

Brown defends the current racing product