McLaren is still searching for consistency in what has so far been a challenging 2026 Formula 1 season. After a disappointing start to the campaign, the reigning Constructors’ Champions showed encouraging signs of recovery between Suzuka and Miami before suffering another major setback during a disastrous weekend in Montreal.
The Woking-based team also struggled to make an impression in Monaco, while its podium finish in Barcelona came thanks to Lando Norris capitalising on Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s late retirement.
Despite the inconsistent results, McLaren CEO Zak Brown remains convinced that the battle against championship-leading Mercedes is far from over. Speaking recently, the American executive discussed the team’s future, reaffirmed his faith in McLaren’s current driver line-up, strengthened the team’s commitment to Mercedes power units and shared his views on Formula 1’s future engine regulations and the race calendar.
The title fight and McLaren’s strong partnership with Mercedes
Although McLaren has endured an up-and-down start to the season, Brown believes there is still plenty of time to challenge for both world championships. With the current calendar feeling like two seasons in one, he argues there is ample opportunity to recover lost ground, particularly given McLaren’s rapid rise through the Formula 1 field over recent years.
“Our season has had its ups and downs, but we’re still only at the beginning,” Brown said. “Clearly, Mercedes is the favourite right now, and Kimi [Antonelli] is the favourite, but we’ve all seen how quickly things can change in our sport.”
Like several other Mercedes-powered teams, McLaren has experienced reliability issues related primarily to the battery systems supplied with the Brixworth-built power units. Even so, Brown made it clear that the team’s technical partnership with Mercedes remains stronger than ever.
“Our collaboration with Mercedes, and our understanding of the Mercedes power unit, is definitely much better today than it was at the beginning of the year. We’re extremely happy with Mercedes. They’ve been fantastic partners, and together we’ve proved wrong those who claimed you can’t win with a customer engine. Our absolute priority is to remain with them as we head into the next set of regulations.”
Brown praises McLaren’s driver pairing
According to Brown, one of McLaren’s greatest strengths lies in having two drivers capable of working together while maintaining the ideal balance inside the team.
The McLaren CEO praised both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, highlighting their remarkable achievements last season.
“We have two drivers who work extremely well together. They both won seven races last year. One is the reigning World Champion, while the other finished just one third-place result away from winning the title. We’re exceptionally happy with the driver line-up we have,” Brown concluded.
Brown renews his opposition to Formula 1 ‘B-teams’
One political issue that remains high on McLaren’s agenda is the existence of satellite teams and multi-team ownership structures within Formula 1. Brown once again reiterated his long-standing belief that the grid should consist exclusively of fully independent constructors competing solely in their own interests.
“This isn’t a reaction to any specific situation. It’s a position I’ve held for the past ten years,” the American executive explained. “The system of ‘B-teams’ and shared ownership creates the same negative impact, and I don’t think it’s healthy for the sport. I’ve discussed it with Toto Wolff and with most of the teams. Philosophically, we’re all in agreement.”
“In any sport, you want everyone competing under the same financial rules, with independent teams that vote and race purely in their own interests. The FIA and Formula 1 agree with that vision. Now it’s simply a matter of putting the right regulations in place to make it happen.”
Future engines, the Formula 1 calendar and the Le Mans dream
Brown also welcomed the ongoing discussions within the Formula 1 Commission regarding the next generation of power units. The current direction points towards placing greater emphasis on the internal combustion engine while reducing reliance on hybrid systems and restoring a louder engine sound.
“Everything we’re hearing about returning to a bigger internal combustion engine, relying less on the battery and hybrid systems, and bringing back more engine noise sounds fantastic. It seems like a great direction for Formula 1,” he said.
Finally, Brown addressed the increasingly crowded Formula 1 calendar and its clashes with other major motorsport events. Following the overlap between the Canadian Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500, this year’s Spanish Grand Prix also coincided with the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
“I’d really like Le Mans to fall on a Formula 1 off-weekend,” Zak Brown admitted. “I love the idea of our Formula 1 drivers one day being able to compete there, and it’s a shame that they can’t because of this scheduling conflict.”
Leave a Reply