In recent months, rumours have surfaced that one of the longest
standing relationships in Formula One is on the rocks - the
enduring and successful partnership between McLaren and engine
supplier Mercedes. It is a partnership that has racked up seventeen
seasons (making it one of the longest such deals in history) and
seventy-one wins, contributing to three drivers and one
constructor's title over the same period. But now the possibility
of the pair going their separate ways has arisen, and several
manufacturers are being linked to the Woking based squad.
McLaren and Mercedes have had their ups and downs, often in
quick succession. The surprise signing and rapid exit of Nigel
Mansell in 1995, exclusion from the world championship in 2007 and
the worst car to emerge from the factory in a very long time in
2009 stick in the memory as woeful moments. But there have also
been some notable triumphs - back to back titles with Mika
Hakkinen, Raikkonen's glory years and Hamilton's maiden
championship are real highlights in Mercedes' motorsport history.
For the large part, the British team has produced good cars and the
German manufacturer has provided good engines. It works.
So what's driven them apart? Well, one of the main factors is
that McLaren have failed to deliver a single constructors' title
since 1998. It's a shocking record for such a proud team, and has
proven increasingly irksome to Mercedes as the firm's contribution
is seldom rewarded with silverware. This was probably the
definitive factor in Mercedes opting to buy Brawn GP and create
their own team with Ross Brawn and Michael Schumacher, in the hope
that by going alone they could win some serious trophies and sell a
few cars at the same time. So far the strategy has had mixed
results, but the need for Mercedes to step out of the shadows was
undoubtedly heightened by McLaren's apparent inability to win the
constructor's trophy.
Then there's the rather thorny issue of McLaren's new road car,
the MP4-12C. A supercar which is intended to put the McLaren name
on the motoring map, it was assumed that the chassis would be
Mercedes powered. But then McLaren delivered a double blow - not
only were they going to muscle in on their supplier's territory,
but the car would be one hundred percent made in Woking. In other
words, they planned to make their own engine. No outside help
required.
Finally, there's the growing use of Mercedes engines up and down
the paddock. Force India was first to break McLaren's monopsony on
the powerplant, and subsequently rose from the back of the grid to
become serious points contenders. More encouraging for the German
manufacturer was that their powerplant won back to back world
championships with Brawn GP - confirmation that in the right hands,
it could achieve great things. At a time when McLaren were
producing nothing but disasters and scandals, you can forgive
Norbert Haug's eyes for wandering. For McLaren, the demotion from
factory team to long term customer (and the return of 40% of their
shares, previously held by Daimler) must have rankled - perhaps
enough to look for a more exclusive deal elsewhere.
Elsewhere consists of three possibilities, all of which have
been mulled over by the press. The first is that having
successfully powered their own supercar, McLaren could now go down
the Ferrari route and provide their own F1 powerplants. The second
is the interesting prospect of a reunion with Honda, who powered
McLaren to four drivers' and four constructors' titles in a five
year period in the late eighties and early nineties, and who are
now said to be considering a return. And finally, reports surfaced
this week that McLaren could opt to sign up Craig Pollock's PURE to
provide them with power, upon the new manufacturer entering the
sport in 2014, although McLaren quickly denied these rumours saying
that no formal contact with PURE has ever been made.
Having looked at all these options, you're probably safe to
assume that the McLaren/Mercedes combination will be around for a
little while yet. Why? Well first and foremost, because a contract
is in place until at least 2015, taking the deal beyond the hurdle
of the new turbo engine era set to begin a year earlier. And the
alternatives are poor. Whilst Mercedes is arguably the best engine
on the grid, McLaren are untested at this level - as are PURE. That
would be a big risk for a top team to take, as would signing with
Honda, which has proven less than committed when the going gets
tough and last departed in a strop as recently as 2008, when they
were not providing the best engine around. What about Mercedes?
Like it or not, for the time being McLaren remain their best shot
at title glory, and until their own team fully finds its feet, they
aren't likely to abandon their foremost hope of a world
championship. And so, the pragmatic answer is simple: in F1, these
two are better off together.