McLaren takes third place in the constructors’ championship
The addition of the Mercedes powerplant is a key component in McLaren’s plan to return to the Formula 1 winners list.
The Woking team’s last race win came in 2012 at the Brazilian Grand Prix, while the last World Championship in 2008 was courtesy of Lewis Hamilton.
For 2021, the team has reunited its partnership with Mercedes after spells with Honda and Renault.
In the current turbo-hybrid era, Mercedes has dominated the sport over its works team, with its engine particularly considered to be the class leader.
“It’s great for us as a team, together with a great driver line-up, that we have the championship drivetrain on the back of our car,” said McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl.
“Why? Because it clearly tells us where we stand as a team.
“And we still have to improve as a team, which is still quite a lot, but it’s good to have those references on the team.”
McLaren finished third in the Constructors’ Championship last year, a position he currently holds in this season’s competition.
This despite the engine change out of season, which limited the team’s development opportunities due to the unique token system for 2021.
The teams only had two tokens to go into this season, which effectively allowed for two small or one significant change.
McLaren has made significant investments off-course as well.
A new wind tunnel is in the works, but it’s still a few years away before the benefits are on the right track, combined with appointments in key positions – including Seidl.
“We have a clear plan on how we will take these next steps in order to fight for victories again in a few years”, explained Seidl.
“So I’m very happy with the switch.”
The addition of the Mercedes powerplant is only part of the puzzle, and while Seidl compliments the addition, he suggests that there are no roads devoid of its competitors.
“These powertrains are all pretty close together these days because of the stability of the regulations,” he suggested.
“I don’t think these differences are as big as they have been in the past.
“But in the end, it’s not just about power. it’s about the package; it’s about reliability; It is about the use of the aggregates also during the weekend.
“As I said, it’s a good thing to have the championship drivetrain in the back of our car again.”
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