In the 2021 Formula 1 season, McLaren will leave Renault as an engine partner, and Mercedes engines will once again fill the back of an Mclaren. However, the German engine supplier will not provide Mclaren with a Mercedes gearbox. McLaren will continue to produce this part on its own.
It may seem as if Mclaren is disadvantaged by Mercedes because of this, but according to team boss Andreas Seidl, producing his own gearbox was always the plan: "There is no change in our strategy. We may have a Mercedes engine next year, but we never planned to replace the gearbox. That's why we'll continue to build our own gearbox," says Seidl to Motorsport-Total.com.
Renault to Mercedes: a step forward?
Despite the fact that the switch to a Mercedes power source seems a clear step forward, Seidl is positive about the Renault power source: "In the first three races we had no problems at all. We have completed all qualifying sessions and races so far. This is a good step forward compared to last year". But whether that's really something to be happy with...