Just In: FIA Confirms McLaren Duo to Receive New Engines Ahead of Belg…read more
McLaren will head into the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps with fresh power unit components for both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, as confirmed by the FIA on Friday. The Woking-based team has been one of the dominant forces in the 2025 Formula 1 season, with Norris and Piastri securing a combined total of nine victories so far, largely powered by their strong and consistent Mercedes engines.
In an official document released by Formula 1’s governing body, the FIA stated that both McLaren drivers, along with Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, will receive several new engine components ahead of the race weekend. The updated power unit elements include a new internal combustion engine (ICE), turbocharger (TC), motor generator unit-heat (MGU-H), and motor generator unit-kinetic (MGU-K). These components are part of the power unit architecture used in all current F1 cars.
Later that evening, it was also confirmed that Williams driver Carlos Sainz will adopt the same suite of new components for his power unit at Spa. These changes are within the rules, as each driver is permitted to use up to three of these components per season without receiving any grid penalties. Since this is the third and final allowed change for these drivers in 2025, they will not face any penalties for the upgrades.
Additionally, Piastri’s car will undergo further updates, as he uses one of his two allocated energy stores (ES) and control electronics (CE) for the season. The same control electronics component will also be replaced on the Sauber of rookie Gabriel Bortoleto.
Spa-Francorchamps is notorious for putting power units under extreme stress due to its high-speed layout and long straights, making it a common venue for teams to install fresh engines. This strategy ensures maximum performance and reliability for one of the most demanding races on the calendar.
While the Mercedes power units have generally been strong, 2025 has seen scattered reliability issues across some customer teams, with notable problems affecting Fernando Alonso, Kimi Antonelli, and Alex Albon. However, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has dismissed concerns over the engine’s durability, attributing most of the retirements to other issues such as chassis-related problems rather than the power unit itself.
For McLaren, the outlook remains highly positive. Despite the overall scrutiny on Mercedes engines this year, the team has faced minimal mechanical setbacks. Piastri, in particular, has demonstrated impressive consistency—finishing every race and scoring points in all 12 rounds of the season so far. His reliability and speed have helped him maintain his position at the top of the drivers’ championship standings, with McLaren continuing to challenge for both titles in 2025.
With fresh components installed and no penalties to worry about, McLaren is well-positioned for another strong weekend at Spa, as the team looks to continue its stellar campaign in the Ardennes.
