McLaren is looking for alternatives to their current engine supplier, as reports suggest that the team is looking to return to Mercedes power in the near future. The news comes after what was a horrible pre-season testing performance for McLaren, showing that the team could be in some trouble for 2017.
With Manor now gone from Formula One, it has become a danger that McLaren could be the slowest car on the 2017 grid and finish last in the World Constructors’ Championship, which would be a devastating financial hit for the Woking-based team. Some have speculated that McLaren could have underlying financial issues as a result of their poor performance in 2015 and 2016 with the Honda power unit.
After splitting from Honda after the 1992 season, McLaren experimented with the Ford and Peugeot engines before finally settling with the Mercedes power unit in 1995. The team stuck with Mercedes engines until the decision was made to rekindle the partnership between Honda and McLaren ahead of the 2015 season. It was expected that the engine supplier would underperform in 2015 as they adjusted to their Formula One return, but although 2016 saw some improvements in reliability, the 2016 improvements were not as good as expected. Their recent pre-season testing days filled with reliability and performance issues has made it appear that Honda has taken a step in the wrong direction.
Sources close to the team say that McLaren is looking into the Mercedes engine supply intended for the defunct Manor Racing team, with some expecting a power unit switch at some point during the 2017 season. However, an engine switch would mean that McLaren would need to find a way to end their long-term agreement with Honda, which would be a difficult task considering that Honda has said that they are 100% committed to their Formula One involvement.
At the moment, no party involved has been willing to comment on the reports, although no one has denied that there are ongoing talks between McLaren and Mercedes.
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