F1 LIVE: McLaren drops engine sound, Mercedes becomes F1’s sole supplier

The McLaren F1 team has finally entered the fray with the unveiling of the sound of its 2026 engine. The Woking-based outfit, which will again run the Mercedes power unit, shared footage of the engine firing up on social media.

The McLaren team, which dominated the final stages of the ground-effect era, winning consecutive Constructors’ Championships in 2024 and 2025, saw the footage feature several of its key personalities, including team principal Andrea Stella.

The 2026 Formula 1 season will see Mercedes become the sole supplier of both the Safety Car and Medical Car, GPblog understands.

This development follows Aston Martin’s decision to end its involvement as an official Safety Car provider. The British manufacturer had shared Safety Car duties with Mercedes since 2021 but has opted to step away as F1 enters a new regulatory era in 2026.

Aston Martin’s stint as a Safety Car supplier sparked mixed reactions over the years, with the pace of its car occasionally coming under scrutiny, including one famous instance: Max Verstappen’s comments during the 2022 Australian Grand Prix, where he expressed his frustration with the pace car.

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