Despite the fact Formula 1 declared that all chassis must be 'frozen' for 2021, McLaren are allowed to make adjustments. The constructor will change engine supplier next year and will be allowed to make the "necessary changes" for the new engine.
Last year McLaren announced that it will once again partner up with Mercedes in 2021 as its engine supplier. McLaren-Mercedes has been a championship-winning combination in the past, although it has been 12 years since the last title was won.
Originally, the deal meant that Mercedes would provide engines for the new regulations era in 2021. The new technical regulations have now been moved to 2022, but this doesn't change anything for the contract signed in 2019.
"This decision does not impact our change to Mercedes power units in 2021," McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl told RaceFans.
"And we will be allowed to make the necessary changes to our car to accommodate this.”
Except for these modifications, McLaren will not be allowed to change anything on the chassis of the MCL35. All teams have decided unanimously to keep the same chassis in 2021 ahead of the big changes in 2022.
As a result of the decision of the British government to put the country into lockdown, the doors of the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking will close on Wednesday.