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Lando Norris, McLaren MCL35M
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Analysis

How McLaren is going back to the future with Mercedes

The return of the McLaren-Mercedes partnership for the first time since 2014 brings two of Formula 1's biggest names back together. Could it be the final step in McLaren's rebuilding job?

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.

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