Should McLaren return to Mercedes?

[Reckoner]

With Manor gone Mercedes would welcome supplying another team.

Surely McLaren would Achieve more with Mercedes HPP?

I understand they wanted to be a works team but Honda can't supply a race winning engine.

Seems like a good option for them.

Discuss?

Reckoner

[Steven]

Should? No. Better stick with Honda and make the cooperation work.

I've approved this topic to keep this speculation out of the McLaren Honda thread, but please keep it decent...

[jonas_linder]

No!!

[Anthropolyte]

Not a chance. They've invested millions (both in terms of actual money and man hours) in Honda and their expertise. Honda have the chops, they just need to deliver.

[Hail22]

Not happening, Mclaren's moves and collaboration with Honda is a lot more deeper than Formula 1. Especially seeing as Mclaren wishes to diversify into other industries.

[WaikeCU]

Do they have resources to produce a PU themselves? Their roadcars all have Mclaren build PU's. So can't they make it themselves?

[Reckoner]

I honestly can't see that the above reasons would trump the desire to be further up the field.

If they stick with Honda because of man hours and money already invested they are already deep in danger of becoming a lower midfield team for the next decade.

This is a pure results driven business, if they do not resolve on track performance nothing else will plug that hole.

Going back to Mercedes will give them back the competitive angle they need as a team to survive........ and sell more road cars.

Reckoner

[Sevach]

Do they have resources to produce a PU themselves? Their roadcars all have Mclaren build PU's. So can't they make it themselves?

Mclaren doesn't build engines in Woking, they order it from Ricardo(think Cosworth).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McLaren_M838T_engine

Anyways, if Mclaren splits from Honda they become a "poor" team, no big sponsors, paying for engines, no huge prize money due to recent performance, they oughta think this decision very well.

[mclaren111]

Do they have resources to produce a PU themselves? Their roadcars all have Mclaren build PU's. So can't they make it themselves?

Mclaren doesn't build engines in Woking, they order it from Ricardo(think Cosworth).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McLaren_M838T_engine

McLaren bought Ricardo some time ago.

[taperoo2k]

Do they have resources to produce a PU themselves? Their roadcars all have Mclaren build PU's. So can't they make it themselves?

They could but it would require a lot of investment and Eric said yesterday that it does not align with McLaren's plans for it's road cars in the short term (not his exact words, he looked annoyed at the question). As for going back to Mercedes ? I think that relationship has been soured for the time being. Of course the risk for McLaren is they ditch Honda, another team strikes a deal with Honda and Honda finally delivers. Leaving McLaren with egg on it's face and no closer to the sharp end of the grid when they started with Honda in 2014.

[Scuderia1967]

Do they have resources to produce a PU themselves? Their roadcars all have Mclaren build PU's. So can't they make it themselves?

Mclaren doesn't build engines in Woking, they order it from Ricardo(think Cosworth).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McLaren_M838T_engine

McLaren bought Ricardo some time ago.

True, but that doesn't mean Ricardo's technology and expertise became automatically McLaren's technology and expertise.
As for the topic, I think McLaren cornered themselves here: the partnership with Honda isn't working, and they know a custom deal with another manufacturer won't serve their ambitions of WC wins.
Seeing no other engine supplier will appear in F1, at least in the foreseeable future, I don't know how is McLaren going to sort themselves out of this

[mclaren111]

Mclaren doesn't build engines in Woking, they order it from Ricardo(think Cosworth).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McLaren_M838T_engine

McLaren bought Ricardo some time ago.

True, but that doesn't mean Ricardo's technology and expertise became automatically McLaren's technology and expertise.
As for the topic, I think McLaren cornered themselves here: the partnership with Honda isn't working, and they know a custom deal with another manufacturer won't serve their ambitions of WC wins.

Seeing no other engine supplier will appear in F1, at least in the foreseeable future, I don't know how is McLaren going to sort themselves out of this

Like any partnership, you go through thick and thin, good and bad together. Both have done it before and will do it again !!

Time is our enemy at the moment

The Aero on the MCL32 looks good to me personally - not an aero expert in any way, shape or form !!

Not sure about suspension yet since we are not doing laps to confirm one way or the other, so the jury is still out on that.

Let's hope Honda gets to a reasonable position soon [-o< [-o<

[etusch]

Can mclaren use merc engine at Melbourne. İf you can say yes then thinking about engine supplier change, and talking about it make sense. Otherwise nonesense

[Wass85]

Not at all, I don't want them dragging Mercedes down to their level.....

[nanocustic]

Is this case like the MP4/9?