McLaren should consider producing its own Formula 1 engine rather than continuing to focus on its Mercedes partnership, according to Guenther Steiner.
Steiner dismissed suggestions that the reigning Constructors’ champions can attribute their difficult start to the 2026 season to their power unit, arguing the team must accept greater responsibility for its performances. He believes the outfit has reached the stage where it should stand on its own rather than looking towards external suppliers.
The Woking-based squad is still searching for its first victory after the opening nine races, with its MCL40 proving well below expectations.
Meanwhile, Mercedes has set the pace under Formula 1’s new regulations, claiming seven wins through George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.
During the British Grand Prix weekend at Silverstone, McLaren boss Andrea Stella said the Mercedes High-Performance Powertrains package had not consistently delivered the level of performance the team expected.
Although Stella has questioned whether McLaren is fully exploiting the engine, he has stopped short of blaming Mercedes.
“They are a car manufacturer; they should make their own engine,” Steiner said on The Red Flags podcast.
“Because they always when something goes wrong, ‘Oh, the engine, now we don’t get the same engine as Mercedes’.
“They had issues with Renault at the time. They had issues with Honda. It’s always something. At some stage, you need to be a grown-up, and they’ve got enough money.
“Zak is pretty good at selling that team, sponsorship. Get the money, instead of putting it in the bank, make your own engine. I mean, that would send a message.
“Also, I think, commercially for their road cars, would be a good thing. That’s my opinion about it, they should go for it.
“Red Bull went for it, and they are doing pretty good. Audi went for it. They are a car manufacturer, they don’t want to buy a Ferrari engine. They want to stand on their own two feet, they want to be taken seriously.”
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