McLaren poised to switch to Mercedes for 2021

[thebigmacmoomin]

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/mclaren-mercede...

Didn't expect that.

[Zarco]

Interesting. Have been impressed with McLarens performance this season. Seem to be best of the rest behind Mercedes/Ferrari/Redbull. Really didn't expect that. There's obviously still a good team in there.

Almost seems a bit risky on Mercedes part to me. They might create a strong rival to the works team. (I'm not saying that is very likely).

The performance of the Renault works team is getting a bit embarrassing now.

[yoshisdad]

I'm a big McLaren fan. The past few years have been hard. It's nice to see that there is a desire to improve. I know that even if they get a Mercedes engine that they won't become front runners again. But at least there is a continuation of the steps in the right direction.

[550M]

Might spell the exit of Renault?

[MG CHRIS]

Or maybe merc are pulling out of f1 but remain as engine builders and revive the merc/McLaren partnership. Merc are putting more effort into formula e and with them winning pretty much everything in f1 time for a change.

[realjv]

If McLaren move to Merc will it be an extra Merc team or will one of the existing customers loose out? (Looking at you Williams as I believe Racing Point have a long term contract). What may prevent this is if Merc wants to still have the ability to place its development drivers with another team which I can't imagine would be an option at Macca and is unlikely at Racing Point Team Stroll at least until Lance hangs it up.
If McLaren drop Renault will Reggie go looking for another customer team? As Honda found out it is difficult to make development progress with only data from a single team.

[ralphrj]

realjv said:

If McLaren move to Merc will it be an extra Merc team or will one of the existing customers loose out? (Looking at you Williams as I believe Racing Point have a long term contract).

Williams extended their contract with Mercedes to 2025 a few weeks ago.

Racing Point are believed to have a similar length contract.

McLaren are expected to sign a contract to 2025 as well.

Either Mercedes are pulling out of Brackley or they are gambling that the FIA will allow them to supply 4 teams (rules limit them to 3).

[djgritt]

ralphrj said:

Either Mercedes are pulling out of Brackley or they are gambling that the FIA will allow them to supply 4 teams (rules limit them to 3).

When did that ruling start?

Mercedes were supplying 4 teams previously in the Hybrid era:

Themselves
Williams
Force India/Racing Point
Lotus/Marussia
(2015-2016)

Edit to add, Ferrari have supplied 4 in the Hybrid era too:

Themselves
Sauber/Alfa Romeo
Haas
Toro Rosso
(2016)

Edited by djgritt on Friday 27th September 22:12

[ukaskew]

The regs are suitably vague and could be read as a manufacturer being able to supply 3 customer teams.

[Supersam83]

Alain Prost to take over as Renault F1 boss and run the team as a customer Renault team with some factory support maybe?

Or maybe Renault know something we don’t and will provide engines to new teams that are rumoured to join from 2021 onwards?

Surely Renault cannot survive in F1 just running the engines itself with no customer teams?

[Lannister902]

Let me get this straight...
Mclaren are supplied with merc engines, but leave with the mindset they'd never be able to compete against a works team.

Bring Honda back into F1, who use Mclaren as a Guinea pig over the first few years to settle back into F1.
After afew difficult years Mclaren decide to jump ship to Renault.
Honda get things right and supply engines to redbulls, who are now massively reaping the reward.

And now... News of Mclaren running back to the Mercs with their tale between their legs!?

Genius.

[Some Gump]

In before merc ditch Williams, who are left with Renault; corbyn nationalises everything, making ineos ici. Williams sign ici sponsorship deal, emply newey and dominate f1 but are then nationalised and go rusty by the end of every race. Would have won championship but bakelite lucas switchgear.

Am i close?

[Derek Smith]

yoshisdad said:

I'm a big McLaren fan. The past few years have been hard. It's nice to see that there is a desire to improve. I know that even if they get a Mercedes engine that they won't become front runners again. But at least there is a continuation of the steps in the right direction.

Hard? That's the understatement of the decade. I've suffered.

MG CHRIS said:

Or maybe merc are pulling out of f1 but remain as engine builders and revive the merc/McLaren partnership. Merc are putting more effort into formula e and with them winning pretty much everything in f1 time for a change.

That's the thought that ran through my mind. F1 costs a lot of money. Their accountants and brand building team will, no doubt, be able to prove just how effective it has been. However, I think the law of diminishing returns will make the bean counters a bit concerned. They will go away from the sport as one of the/the greatest team ever. They'll come in again when there's an advantage for them.

[rdjohn]

When EJ said this on C4, I think I mentioned on PH that it seemed most unlikely unless Renault were quitting F1. Yet here we are.

He also said that DC would become President of the BRDC and that was officially announced yesterday.

[SteBrown91]

Merc engine deal announced

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/11819970/m...

[Kraken]

Lannister902 said:

Let me get this straight...
Mclaren are supplied with merc engines, but leave with the mindset they'd never be able to compete against a works team.

Bring Honda back into F1, who use Mclaren as a Guinea pig over the first few years to settle back into F1.
After afew difficult years Mclaren decide to jump ship to Renault.
Honda get things right and supply engines to redbulls, who are now massively reaping the reward.

And now... News of Mclaren running back to the Mercs with their tale between their legs!?

Genius.

Totally different management so any decisions made before are irrelevant to those being made now.

[ukaskew]

It's s good job they've got two relatively cheap (and good) drivers because they must be burning a staggering amount of cash swapping engine suppliers every few years.

Massive own goal not sticking it out with Honda.

[Europa1]

Simon Lazenby just interviewed Zak Brown and asked him if this news might make Fernando Alonso's ears prick up, or something along those lines.

I sincerely hope it doesn't.

[TheDeuce]

ukaskew said:

The regs are suitably vague and could be read as a manufacturer being able to supply 3 customer teams.

That's true, they are vague. But in Mercedes case, technically the manufacturer isn't the same company as the F1 team, so they supply themselves as a team, and already 2 others = 3. McLaren would be the fourth team they supply on that basis.

I'm sure their lawyers have looked in to it and clarified what is what with the FIA. The regs as written aren't entirely clear though.

[TheDeuce]

550M said:

Might spell the exit of Renault?

This along with various other factors - I can see them backing out. They were presented to the French taxpayer as something to be proud of as a nation. That's a very tough message to continue to sell when they get beaten by their own customer team, miss their own targets and have their engine confidently bested by competing car manufacturing nations, England/Germany, Italy and Japan. Collectively, whatever statement Renault hoped they could make in F1 seems to have gone in reverse.