McLaren never even considered using their own engine says Andreas Seidl

McLaren boss Andreas Seidl has admitted the Woking-based squad "never considered" using their own engine amid new engine deal with Mercedes.

After 2020, the British team will start using Mercedes power again in their bid to once again reach the heights of the late 1990s and now team boss Seidl has dismissed reports that McLaren considered building their own engine.

"This was never seriously considered," Seidl said to SpeedWeek. "You'd have to invest a lot of money. Additionally, you'd also need plenty of time to catch up with what the current manufacturers have already learned.

"For those two reasons, it was never a topic for us."

Former world champion Mika Hakkinen, who won the world championships under McLaren-Mercedes in 1998 and 1999 is a fan of the partnership reuniting once again: "It is a partnership that worked very well in the past, and Andreas Seidl has identified this as being a key element in McLaren's strategy to become winners again," Hakkinen said on his Unibet column.