FIA to closely monitor McLaren’s Mercedes switch

The FIA will “very closely” monitor McLaren’s switch to Mercedes power units for 2021 in order to ensure the Formula 1 team does not break any regulation.

McLaren confirmed last September that it will switch to Mercedes power on a five-year deal from 2021, intending to align the change with the introduction of overhauled regulations.

But the coronavirus pandemic has prompted championship officials to impose a number of changes, including the retention of the 2020 chassis for the 2021 season.

McLaren has been granted approval to undertake the necessary changes to its chassis in order to replace the Renault power unit in its MCL35 with a Mercedes component for next year.

RelatedPosts

How the Austrian GP cemented F1 2025 as a two-horse race

11 hours ago

Toto Wolff: Kimi Antonelli’s ‘unfortunate’ Austria F1 error ‘can happen to the greats’

12 hours ago

But the FIA will closely watch proceedings to ensure that any changes undertaken are essential rather than being made to obtain a performance gain.

“It is a change of plan for us because we planned to integrate the Mercedes power unit into the new car with the 2021 regulations,” McLaren chief Andreas Seidl explained.

“For sure there will be restrictions in terms of how good we can integrate this power unit into the current car.

“We have agreed together with the FIA that they will monitor very closely that we are only allowed to do the changes that are absolutely necessary to install the Mercedes power unit.

“They will monitor closely that we don’t change any other areas in the surroundings of the power unit that will give us additional performance gains.”

Seidl added that McLaren has no problem in potentially compromising its 2021 prospects on account of the wider changes needed to ensure the health of Formula 1.

“We fully understand and agreed to that as in the end we need to look at the bigger picture,” he said.

“Which is to agree and support the freezing that is happening at the moment because it ensures maximum cost savings for everyone.”

McLaren is currently the only team set to change power unit supplier after 2020.