2021 Mclaren F1 Team

[BassVirolla]

If anything, but I seriously doubt that VAG will get involved in F1, I see some feasible links between Porsche and McLaren in Andreas Seidl.

Nevertheless, in a marketing perspective, I don't see Porsche working together with McLaren. Both manufacturers sell for very similar markets...

[genarro]

https://www.planetf1.com/news/vw-f1-ent ... -november/

This suggests "insiders" have said there may be two brands joining, with one going to RB and one to Mclaren, with the group taking on the Honda Powertrain IP to develop into the 2026 engine.

At the moment, it's anyone's guess as to how it will unfold. Possibly with them not joining F1 at all. We are largely just hearing media speculation, although in amongst all of this there may be a very reliable source, we have no idea which is it.

Would that mean McLaren and RBR will be sister teams? Ewww

hahaha not quite. It sounds like they'd cleverly badge the same engine with two different brands. If that is indeed the route they'd want to go down. Not a bad idea really and it has been done before, when Renault wanted to distance themselves from Red Bull and badged their engines Tag Heuer.

I think it was the other way round. RB were a*sholes and didn't want to have anything to have with the Renault name and I am very sure they had to pay a wast amount of money to rebrand the engines Tag Heuer.

It looks like we could be partnering with Audi, which to me is far better than they buying the whole brand. We become a "works Audi" team. Level playing field versus RB and they have to go trough to 2026 with their engines and will have to overcome all the suffering.. Just as we had to with the Honda s#itbox engines until they were good.

[mwillems]

Would that mean McLaren and RBR will be sister teams? Ewww

hahaha not quite. It sounds like they'd cleverly badge the same engine with two different brands. If that is indeed the route they'd want to go down. Not a bad idea really and it has been done before, when Renault wanted to distance themselves from Red Bull and badged their engines Tag Heuer.

I think it was the other way round. RB were a*sholes and didn't want to have anything to have with the Renault name and I am very sure they had to pay a wast amount of money to rebrand the engines Tag Heuer.

It looks like we could be partnering with Audi, which to me is far better than they buying the whole brand. We become a "works Audi" team. Level playing field versus RB and they have to go trough to 2026 with their engines and will have to overcome all the suffering.. Just as we had to with the Honda s#itbox engines until they were good.

I think you're right. Tag "bought" the naming rights for the engine, which was most likely paid to Renault. But I think both sides wanted to end the relationship and couldn't so this was the halfway house.

Not sure why you think RB will suffer with the current engine setup, I think they'll do pretty good.

[gshevlin]

I know that McLaren is adamantly denying that any deal has been done to sell the race team to any other entity.
However, given the position of McLaren, which is a Mercedes customer, but without any marketing agreement with Mercedes (hence the general lack of Mercedes badging on the cars, drivers and other team real estate), McLaren is just about the only team that does not have a strong tie-in with a rival auto manufacturer. All of the other non-works teams have ongoing technical or marketing contracts with manufacturers.
A new engine program would have a long lead time, and any new manufacturer would want to be committing behind the scenes now, to be able to show up in Year 1 with a competitive power plant. Remember that BMW signed with Williams in 1998 and is rumored to have paid the Williams Supertec engine bills in 1998 and 1999 as they prepared their own engine behind the scenes.
It is not necessary for any deal to exist at the present time. All that needs to exist is a Letter of Intent, Memorandum of Understanding, or some other written instrument that gives a new manufacturer a definite path to a relationship with an existing team.

[mwillems]

I think it's a relative given that they wouldn't enter until the new regs, 5 years away.

It's precisely why they may be looking at getting a deal finalised now, or why the press are making smoke at this particular time. Although I suspect there is no smoke without fire in this instance and that the VW group are actively looking to settle on a way forward, even if that means not proceeding in F1. Because that would still come after much consultation with the teams and the FIA.

It'd be nice if we got an effective title sponsor with an engine deal but I don't think it is the end of the world to stay with Merc. We have a good engine and we have a ton of sponsors and the budget cap is in place. We can be competitive come what may and already it is in the teams hands to do something special over the next few years. Audi/Porsche would be the icing on what should already become a very excellent cake. Mary Berry would approve.

[SmallSoldier]

There is also potential for an interesting partnership between McLaren and Audi / Porsche… The challenge for anyone new entering the grid is not only the entrance fee, but assembling a Team from scratch… Staffing itself would be a challenge since no one not already in the grid probably has a knowledge gap of at least a year to everyone else on the grid and in F1 that’s a big gap to close with how much and how quick the team’s learn, develop and evolve.

Maybe an agreement for Audi (as an example) to enter the grid as some sort of sister Team to Mclaren, receiving technical knowledge and parts (similar to what Haas did with Ferrari) in exchange for a potential engine agreement in 2026? That would ease the burden for Audi to enter as a team while they develop their Team and infrastructure, it helps McLaren cope with development costs… This would allow Audi to enter the grid sooner than what it would be required otherwise and learn not only about the chassis side, but also win time to develop / understand not only the engine, but what is necessary for it’s integration.

I know… Too far fetched… But stranger things have happened

[mwillems]

If anything, but I seriously doubt that VAG will get involved in F1, I see some feasible links between Porsche and McLaren in Andreas Seidl.

Nevertheless, in a marketing perspective, I don't see Porsche working together with McLaren. Both manufacturers sell for very similar markets...

They also have Skoda waiting in the wings.

[djos]

If anything, but I seriously doubt that VAG will get involved in F1, I see some feasible links between Porsche and McLaren in Andreas Seidl.

Nevertheless, in a marketing perspective, I don't see Porsche working together with McLaren. Both manufacturers sell for very similar markets...

They also have Skoda waiting in the wings.

Skoda is their poverty-pack brand - VAG would be insane to use that duff brand in F1!

[gibells]

I think it's worth noting the way in which VAG have committed to going into WEC in the next couple of years. With Porsche and Audi actually sharing Hypercar platforms. Which I don't think we've seen before in terms of racing.

Another point is if Audi was to develop an engine independently, as Porsche might be seen tied to RBT. I guess resources would be capped on RBT's side, but not on Audi's side. Thereby ramping up development of the new engines.

[mwillems]

If anything, but I seriously doubt that VAG will get involved in F1, I see some feasible links between Porsche and McLaren in Andreas Seidl.

Nevertheless, in a marketing perspective, I don't see Porsche working together with McLaren. Both manufacturers sell for very similar markets...

They also have Skoda waiting in the wings.

Skoda is their poverty-pack brand - VAG would be insane to use that duff brand in F1!

Which is an easy way to see that some is being comicly dry

How about Seat then?

[djos]

Same pig, different lipstick.

[mwillems]

Same pig, different lipstick.

Yeah my Altea is ugly as hell!

Anyway back on topic. The fact there is so much noise now makes me think that VAG will enter F1 in some capacity. I think we will find out in the ne t 3 to 6 months.

[Ground Effect]

It’s also interesting that the noise around VAG and Red Bull has somewhat died down? Like I said a few days ago, though it’s been reported earlier as Porsche to Red Bull and Audi to McLaren, Motorsport.com said only one brand would be brought to F1. Maybe McLaren are the leading contender? We shall see.

[djos]

Same pig, different lipstick.

Yeah my Altea is ugly as hell!

Anyway back on topic. The fact there is so much noise now makes me think that VAG will enter F1 in some capacity. I think we will find out in the ne t 3 to 6 months.

It’s funny, VAG have tried multiple times to bring Seat to Australia and gone down in flames spectacularly each time.

VAG as an organisation make me laugh tho, I mean they have 4 brands that all make the same cars with different lipstick on them.

First you have:

Volkswagen

Then they tart them up and slap Audi badges on them and jack up the price.

Then they slap Seat / Skoda badges on them and lower the price. But they are all Volkswagens under the skin.

[flmkane]

Same pig, different lipstick.

Yeah my Altea is ugly as hell!

Anyway back on topic. The fact there is so much noise now makes me think that VAG will enter F1 in some capacity. I think we will find out in the ne t 3 to 6 months.

It’s funny, VAG have tried multiple times to bring Seat to Australia and gone down in flames spectacularly each time.

Um... When you say "VAG" and "SEAT"... Are they a person or people? Or nouns for human anatomy?