How McLaren is going back to the future with Mercedes

In the six years that have passed since McLaren last enjoyed Mercedes power, the British team has undergone a transformative, sobering process. The hope fuelled by Honda’s Formula 1 return in 2015 gave way to the harsh reality of how far behind the times McLaren had fallen, forcing an overhaul at the very top of the team. Tough decisions were taken, including a move to become a Renault customer from 2018, but those big calls paid off as it clambered back up the F1 pecking order.

Unlike the last time McLaren entered a season with a new engine supplier, this is no longer a team in crisis. As we saw through 2020, it is now capable of fighting at the front of the midfield, scoring podiums, and even challenging for victories on occasion. And McLaren has a masterplan to return to the top.

PLUS: How McLaren turned shop floor mutiny into credible recovery

The latest step in that plan was taken 18 months ago when McLaren announced that it would be switching to Mercedes engines from 2021, rekindling the partnership that yielded titles for Mika Hakkinen and Lewis Hamilton under the old works deal. The switch was initially planned for the new regulations in 2021, but their delay had no impact upon the agreement, meaning that even with the cars’ development being frozen for this year, the changeover took place.

It represents the start of a new era for McLaren. It is a significantly different agreement to the former Mercedes partnership, when it served as the German manufacturer’s works operation between 1995 and 2009. This is a sheer customer deal, to the extent that there is not a single Mercedes logo on the 2021 McLaren, the MCL35M (the final ‘M’, standing for Mercedes, is the only recognition it gets). But it is nevertheless a step McLaren believes can return it to the top table in F1 as the series prepares to enter a new era.

PLUS: The 'wrong tree' car that ignited the McLaren-Mercedes partnership

“We have everything we need now, whether that’s drivers, team principal, technical director, power unit, sponsor partners, investors, the resources, the CapEx [projects], but it’s going to take more time to gel,” says McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown.

Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

“If you look at the two more recent dominations: Mercedes, it took them a little bit of time to build that momentum to get there, then once they got there, they’re hard to knock off the top of the mountain. Before that, it was Red Bull. It took them a little bit of time to get there, too. So this is a momentum business. I think we have good momentum. But we still have a long way to go.”

The puzzle pieces Brown mentions have gradually been drawn into place since his arrival at the end of 2016. Ex-Porsche Le Mans/WEC boss Andreas Seidl has proven to be an excellent leader for the team since becoming principal in 2019, while James Key has excelled as technical director.

A fresh injection of investment was announced last December from US group MSP Sports Capital, allowing McLaren to proceed with plans to update its facilities, including a new windtunnel at its Woking base. As F1 moves into the budget-cap era in 2021, McLaren has the right tools at its disposal.

PLUS: How McLaren’s new investors have already made an impact

The signing of Daniel Ricciardo for 2021 acted as a big statement from McLaren. Within 48 hours of Ferrari announcing that it had snared Carlos Sainz Jr away from Woking off the back of his breakout year in 2019, McLaren was able to confirm Ricciardo as his replacement, bringing race-winning experience back to the team.

The Mercedes switch did not come without its challenges, one being that McLaren had no choice but to use its development tokens to accommodate the new power unit. While its rivals carried over the majority of components, McLaren found itself designing an “essentially new” car

McLaren first courted Ricciardo when he was deliberating an exit from Red Bull in 2018. Talks went well, but he ultimately signed for Renault. This time around, any doubts he previously bore had dissipated, prompting him to sign a three-year contract. It’s a huge show of faith in McLaren and a sign of the progress the team has made.

“When I talked to McLaren a couple years ago, back in 2018, there were still quite a few moving parts,” explains seven-time GP winner Ricciardo. “I don’t think Andreas was there yet, James Key wasn’t. And I think ultimately, not only the results weren’t quite there on track yet, but they were still trying to figure out their own structure. They’ve really established that now, and I’m basically just fitting in the puzzle, as opposed to trying to put it all together.”

PLUS: Why F1's new driver-team combos each have a point to prove

Ricciardo may bring some star power to the team, but new team-mate Lando Norris has quietly been one of F1’s most consistent performers in his first two seasons. After a breakthrough podium in Austria last July, Norris managed to run Ferrari-bound team-mate Sainz close throughout 2020, and played a key role in McLaren’s charge to third in the constructors’ championship.

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL35M

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

Norris enters his third season with greater experience and maturity, boosting his confidence, an area that has traditionally been a challenge for him. “I came in with a better plan this year than I did the last two years,” says Norris. “I feel more confident and more ready.”

PLUS: The mental health revolution changing F1 for the better

McLaren’s previous two changes of engine supplier were blighted by a number of issues in pre-season testing. The misery of its first runs with Honda is well-known, but even 2018 pre-season testing proved troublesome as it adjusted to life with new partner Renault.

The Mercedes switch did not come without its challenges, one being that McLaren had no choice but to use its development tokens to accommodate the new power unit. While its rivals carried over the majority of components, McLaren found itself designing an “essentially new” car.

“The number of new parts on the MCL35M is about the same as when we built the MCL35,” says production director Piers Thynne. “The back of the chassis and gearbox bellhousing around the engine have changed significantly to adapt to the new power unit. Changing power unit greatly alters the architecture of the car.”

Yet 2021 testing went by without a hitch. Even with just three days of running before the season opener in Bahrain, McLaren was able to get up to speed swiftly with its new power unit. Technical director Key admitted it was a “challenge” working with such a small window to bed in the new engine, but stayed coy on the performance, saying the Mercedes was “quite reasonable” through testing.

Insight: How McLaren's "baby steps" paid off in F1 testing

Norris echoed Key’s comments, but could not hide a big smile when asked about the gains he had found with the Mercedes engine: “Altogether, it’s been a smooth operation. The bit for me is understanding all the new switches and ways of working.

Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren MCL35M

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

“On the whole, it’s that little step forward in a lot of areas, but some areas still need some work. At the moment it’s looking good, and we’re happy with how things have gone. We have to wait until qualifying to really unlock the full potential and see what this baby’s got.”

The Mercedes move could offer McLaren an important gain if it wishes to escape the crowded midfield fight this year. Testing pointed towards another close tussle with Aston Martin, Alpine, Ferrari and AlphaTauri, the last-mentioned catching Norris’s eye in particular. But McLaren’s testing form drew praise from Lewis Hamilton, who was excited by the prospect of his former team becoming a force once again.

Still, McLaren has its eyes firmly on the long game. It might want to keep up its recent trajectory, rising from ninth to sixth to fourth to third in the past four years, but it also knows it cannot place a heavy focus on this year given the upcoming regulation change. It’s a juggling act of developing the car enough to be competitive this year, without sacrificing the attention it needs to give to 2022.

PLUS: Why McLaren can be a true force in F1 again

“I think for our journey, it is important to have a good season this year, to keep this positive momentum up,” reckons team boss Seidl. “But at the same time, it’s important to not lose sight of the big picture.

McLaren’s testing form drew praise from Lewis Hamilton, who was excited by the prospect of his former team becoming a force once again

“Over the next years, we do not want to simply close the gap to the teams in front of us, we want to be in a position again to fight for race wins. And in order to do that, it is important to use the new regulations in 2022, which are a big change, as an opportunity as well.”

In a year when so much has changed to give McLaren a better and brighter future, more of the same from last season would be considered a successful 2021 at Woking. It will want to snare a podium or two where possible, lead the midfield, and be in position to pick up the pieces should either Red Bull or Mercedes drop the ball.

It’s bound to be a transitional year with so many changes, then. But with the arrivals of both Ricciardo and Mercedes, it could also be one that marks the beginning of an exciting and potentially lucrative new cycle for McLaren.

Lando Norris, McLaren, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, and Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images