Guenther Steiner tells McLaren to start acting like a ‘grown-up’ over Mercedes engine tension

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McLaren have not been happy with Mercedes in 2026 over their power unit, but Guenther Steiner says they should be building their own engines.

Tensions between the two teams have been apparent all year, with McLaren accusing Mercedes of withholding information about the engines. The Woking outfit have been struggling to understand the engines and get the best out of them.

At Silverstone, they used the old spec engine and could not mount a challenge to the frontrunners. McLaren were ‘grumbling’ behind the scenes that Mercedes had the newer spec, marking more drama between the two teams.

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Guenther Steiner says McLaren should build their own engines

The tension was so much that McLaren were even considering ditching Mercedes engines and moving to Audi. They are not happy with the Brackley outfit, but Steiner has told them to be ‘grown up’ as a manufacturer and become a power unit supplier.

Speaking on The Red Flags Podcast, the former Haas boss noted how McLaren has had problems with their engine suppliers for years, including Honda and Renault.

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Asked if McLaren should start building their own power units, he said: “Absolutely. They are a car manufacturer, they should make their own engine.

“That would take away, 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.

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“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 old car, 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.”