FORUMula1.com - F1 Forum

[darwin dali]

ESPN F1:
McLaren insists it is committed to staying with its engine supplier Mercedes during the switch from V8 power units to turbo-charged V6s in 2014, despite its closest rivals having their own factory engine deals.

Red Bull recently announced a five-year extension of its deal with Renault Sport, which team principal Christian Horner described as a "factory" deal, while Ferrari has its own in-house engine department at Maranello and Mercedes has its engine base in Brixworth. The integration between engine and chassis will be important in 2014 as capacity decreases from 2.4 litres to 1.6 litres and extra energy recovery systems are added. Red Bull, for example, has already talked up the significance of its "premium" partnership with Renault Sport and will work closely in the development of the engine over the next two years.

McLaren currently has a contract with Mercedes until 2015 but there has been speculation that it might look elsewhere ahead of 2014 or set up its own department to promote its road car division, which uses an in-house powertrain designed and developed with engine specialists Ricardo. However, managing director Jonathan Neale said the team is completely committed to Mercedes.

"I'm not going to discuss the contractual terms within that, but I can give a cast-iron guarantee that it is our intention to stay with Mercedes-Benz and these engines as we transition between here to the next generation of engines," he told the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes phone-in. "They are our engine partner, we very much like working with them and want to do so for many years to come."

He also batted away suggestions that Mercedes' engine department would be inclined to work more closely with its factory team.

"The assumption that we're not working as closely with Mercedes is incorrect," Neale added. "We've had a long relationship with Mercedes-Benz High-Performance Engines at Brixworth, we know the guys up there very well and we're a good team together. I think certainly we expect, and we are, working very closely with them ahead of 2014. Our job, as theirs is, is to make sure Mercedes-Benz has the best engine on the grid and is best prepared and most ready [for 2014]. I don't feel in any way that we are being disadvantaged or held at arm's length.

"I think sometimes when people look at the McLaren Group as a whole and look at the way the road car platform is developing, then I think in that domain of course there are lots of what-ifs and maybes and how its powertrain is going to develop there going forward. But we shouldn't confuse that with what's going on with the engine programme [at the F1 team]. Our focus is very much around our engine partners Mercedes-Benz, who do a first-class job for us and we expect to be an intimate and high-performance partner with them."

Asked if McLaren had been given guarantees that it will receive equal treatment alongside the Mercedes GP team, Neale said: "That's not a concern or an issue for us at all. I think there is one thing that ourselves Mercedes GP and Mercedes-Benz High-Performance Engines want, which is for Mercedes to have the best engine in 2014. The fact that they can draw on technical contributions and know-how from partners such as ourselves and Mercedes should only make them stronger."



No mo talk about their own engine development...

[bud]

I'm sure Ron Dennis will say otherwise. 2014 is too soon for McLaren engines yes, but It wouldn't be much further on than that i would think.

[Hammer278]

I don't see why not, the Merc is the class engine of the field right now and with the ban on 'progress' McLaren should be very happy with what they have while they prepare their own powerplant in the backgrounds.

[andrew]

Maybe they think it is safer to be with a company which already manufactures its own engines so they'll have all the expertise in place from the new engine configuration in 2014. I would guess that McLaren will make a decision on their own engine for F1 once they see how the new format is looking with Merc.

[Pandaman]

Maybe slightly OT but I still can't believe they are going down this 1.6L route. This is the pinnacle of motorsports and they should be making them bigger! Apprently they are going to be KERS only powered in the pits!

I just hope the new engines sound just as good . Having been to my first GP this year, the sound is absolutely awesome and the other support race cars don't even come close.

[FRAFPDD]

Hmmmmm, well other engines have their phases but if i remmeber since Mercedes entered the sport as an engine supplier, theyve been the class of the field bar none.


This is good news for Mclaren, in the long term developing their own engines makes sense, to get the ball rolling and establish themselves as a totally independant team, however, in the short term, teething troubles might see the next few years see a massively uncompetitive Mclaren team.

I really wasnt looking forward to (was it 2013 or 2014 they were set to use their own engines?) but this piece of news has brightened my day a bit more. I was thinking Lewis might have to jump ship to the full works Mercedes team once Mclaren dump Mercedes.

[bud]

Hmmmmm, well other engines have their phases but if i remmeber since Mercedes entered the sport as an engine supplier, theyve been the class of the field bar none.

You have a short memory then.

[FRAFPDD]

I wonder what Mclaren would be like with Renualt engines............

[bud]

I wonder what Mclaren would be like with Renualt engines............

what about Ferrari engines while you're at it!

[andrew]

Hmmmmm, well other engines have their phases but if i remmeber since Mercedes entered the sport as an engine supplier, theyve been the class of the field bar none.

You have a short memory then.

Well apart from the Ferrari bit and the Renault bit he's bob on.

[FRAFPDD]

" other engines have had their phases"

[bud]

Hmmmmm, well other engines have their phases but if i remmeber since Mercedes entered the sport as an engine supplier, theyve been the class of the field bar none.

You have a short memory then.

Well apart from the Ferrari bit and the Renault bit he's bob on.

You think? since 95? No way have they been class of the field. Renault were the class of the field when they entered then in the 90s! Also they lacked reliability early part of last decade. But the Ferrari was the best engine by far in the late 90s onwards up until the BMW was making big numbers. Merc engines blowing up was a common occurrence something the class of the field does not do. Lets not forget Mercedes problems when the regs converted to V8s also.

Only recently have they been the class of the field

[andrew]

Hmmmmm, well other engines have their phases but if i remmeber since Mercedes entered the sport as an engine supplier, theyve been the class of the field bar none.

You have a short memory then.

Well apart from the Ferrari bit and the Renault bit he's bob on.

You think? since 95? No way have they been class of the field. Renault were the class of the field when they entered then in the 90s! Also they lacked reliability early part of last decade. But the Ferrari was the best engine by far in the late 90s onwards up until the BMW was making big numbers. Merc engines blowing up was a common occurrence something the class of the field does not do. Lets not forget Mercedes problems when the regs converted to V8s also.

Only recently have they been the class of the field

1995 was a Renault year, as was 1996 and 1997. Thus whey I said apart from the Ferrari and Renault bit. I'm just going on which engine won the championship of course but that's all anyone will really look at in the record books.

[myownalias]

Maybe slightly OT but I still can't believe they are going down this 1.6L route. This is the pinnacle of motorsports and they should be making them bigger! Apprently they are going to be KERS only powered in the pits!

I don't know how long you've been following F1 but back in the 80s, 1.5L Turbo engines were the class of the field, some developing as much as 1,500 HP in qualifying trim. OK these new engines will not have that sort of power but I would image performance will be similar to current engines and will sound similar; they've only dropped 3,000rpm, engines will still spin at 15,000rpm.

As for KERS only in the pitlane; was that ever confirmed? I don't remember reading anything about this other than in the rumour columns!

On the subject matter; sticking with Mercedes is a good move; having a big manufacturer like Mercedes behind the engine makes sense as they have serious resources to make a great engine!

[bud]

Hmmmmm, well other engines have their phases but if i remmeber since Mercedes entered the sport as an engine supplier, theyve been the class of the field bar none.

You have a short memory then.

Well apart from the Ferrari bit and the Renault bit he's bob on.

You think? since 95? No way have they been class of the field. Renault were the class of the field when they entered then in the 90s! Also they lacked reliability early part of last decade. But the Ferrari was the best engine by far in the late 90s onwards up until the BMW was making big numbers. Merc engines blowing up was a common occurrence something the class of the field does not do. Lets not forget Mercedes problems when the regs converted to V8s also.

Only recently have they been the class of the field

1995 was a Renault year, as was 1996 and 1997. Thus whey I said apart from the Ferrari and Renault bit. I'm just going on which engine won the championship of course but that's all anyone will really look at in the record books.

Ferrari and Renault were big bits though I know you two are buds but can't say he was bob on then in saying Mercedes was class of the field since 95