Could Porsche supply McLaren's power unit in 2026?

McLaren's Zak Brown has been eyeing up a possible partnership with Porsche in 2026.

Volkswagen Group has made their intentions to join Formula 1 clear: Porsche attempted to acquire 50% of RedBull Racing, but the deal fell through when the two parties couldn't agree on who would control the team. Audi then agreed on a deal to take over Sauber, currently Alfa Romeo. The Sauber takeover will see Audi take control of the Sauber F1 team and development facilities in Switzerland.

Currently, there are four engine suppliers on the grid; RedBull Powertrains, Renault, Mercedes and Ferrari. However, more are expected to join in 2026. This is because the new 2026 power unit regulations make it easier for manufacturers to join, with Porsche rumoured to be one of them.

With several engine suppliers looking to join the grid in 2026, customer teams like McLaren who don't manufacture their own engines will have more choices when it comes to engine suppliers. Many of McLaren's senior team members have strong links to Porsche.

If McLaren does partner with Porsche, it will be their first partnership since Porsche along with TAG supplied their engine for the iconic McLaren MP4/2, not to be confused with the Honda-powered McLaren MP4, which was driven by Ayrton Senna. The Porsche-built TAG TTE PO1 V6 engine in the McLaren MP4/2 won the championship with Niki Lauda in 1984 and with Alain Prost in 1985 (MP4/2B) and 1986 (MP4/2C).

McLaren and Porsche will be looking to emulate the success of their partnership in the 1980s.