Mercedes warns McLaren relationship will change in 2014 F1 season
Mercedes has warned McLaren that it faces being treated as a full-on competitor rather than engine partner this year, ahead of the Woking-based team's switch to Honda power in 2015
Although Jenson Button recently called on all the Mercedes-powered Formula 1 teams to continue working together to boost their title prospects, it now looks certain that relations will be different once the season is underway.
Toto Wolff, Mercedes' executive director, has made it clear that at the moment Mercedes will co-operate with McLaren for the greater good - but dropped a firm hint that this stance will change.
"I think certainly them heading off to one of our competitors is not an ideal situation," Wolff told AUTOSPORT.
"But in these early days of the season we have a short-term target which is common - in making the power unit reliable and performing.
"It is welcome that we are all having an exchange and all sharing the same short term target, and this is to make the power unit last and be quick.
"How that is going to pan out during the season, that daily management of the relationship, could change obviously."
Mercedes sources say they are already taking extra measures to ensure that there is no risk of in-depth technical knowledge being passed on to Honda.
This has included keeping McLaren engineers well away from sensitive work on the engines that they do not need to be privy to.
Wolff did not think, however, that relations would become too difficult - or that McLaren's hopes of success would be dented.
"At the end of the day we are still competitors on track," he said.
"There is still a fair amount of knowledge that you can share on developing the power unit, but then there is a fair amount of knowledge that you wouldn't want to exchange anyway because they are switching to Honda.
"But we expect them to be strong this year."
Previous article
Is this Frijns's last shot at F1?
Next article
Red Bull insists nothing major is wrong with its new Formula 1 car
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Teams | McLaren , Mercedes |
| Author | Jonathan Noble |
Albert Park Circuit Modifications Project
Mercedes-AMG F1 Team: Bahrain GP Race Debrief
The diva that stole a march on F1’s wide-bodied opposition
In 2017 new F1 technical regulations were supposed to add drama - and peg Mercedes back. STUART CODLING looks at the car which, while troubled, set the stage for the wide-bodied Formula 1 era
The themes to watch in F1’s Imola return
Three weeks is a long time in Formula 1, but in the reshaped start to the 2021 season the teams head to Imola to pick things up after the frenetic Bahrain opener. Here's what to look out for and the developments to follow at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
The 'new' F1 drivers who need to improve at Imola
After a pandemic-hit winter of seat-swapping, F1 kicked off its season with several new faces in town, other drivers adapting to new environments, and one making a much-anticipated comeback. BEN ANDERSON looks at who made the most of their opportunity and who needs to try harder…
The delay that quashed Aston Martin’s last F1 venture
Aston Martin’s only previous foray into Formula 1 in the late 1950s was a short-lived and unsuccessful affair. But it could have been so different, says NIGEL ROEBUCK
Verstappen exclusive: Why lack of car-racing titles won't hurt Red Bull's ace
Max Verstappen’s star quality in Formula 1 is clear. Now equipped with a Red Bull car that is, right now, the world title favourite and the experience to support his talent, could 2021 be the Dutchman’s year to topple the dominant force of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes?
Are we at peak F1 right now?
For many, many years Formula 1 has strived to do and to be better on all fronts. With close competition, a growing fanbase, a stable political landscape and rules in place to encourage sustainability, 2021 is on course to provide an unexpected peak
How crucial marginal calls will decide the Red Bull vs Mercedes battle in F1 2021
The longer Red Bull can maintain a performance edge over Mercedes, the better the odds will be in the team’s favour against the defending world champions. But as the Bahrain Grand Prix showed, many more factors will be critical in the outcome of the 2021 Formula 1 World Championship
How Williams’ new structure adheres to a growing F1 trend
Williams held out against the tide for many years but, as MARK GALLAGHER explains, the age of the owner-manager is long gone
