Seidl Happy with Rekindled Mercedes-Benz Relationship after Strong 2021 Campaign

Andreas Seidl says there were never any issues with Mercedes-Benz surrounding their supply of power units to the McLaren F1 Team in 2021, even when it was clear that a fourth engine would be needed.

McLaren returned to Mercedes power for the first time since 2014 this year having spent three years with Honda and three years with Renault power, and they took their first victory since the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix when Daniel Ricciardo triumphed in the Italian Grand Prix in September. 

However, both Ricciardo and team-mate Lando Norris needed an additional power unit on top of their allowed three in 2021, but despite this, they faced no dramas with Mercedes, and Seidl, the Team Principal at Mercedes, says the plan was always in place with their engine suppliers before the season even began to see how best utilise their engines.

“We set out a plan together with Mercedes at the beginning of the season [for] how we want to use the engines,” Seidl is quoted as saying by FormulaRapida.net.  “Then during the season, it was clear that at some point we have to take a fourth power unit.

“That was something which was always discussed and planned together with Mercedes. We didn’t have a single situation where we had any debate there or a mismatch between what we wanted and what Mercedes would have given us. So very happy with how that went.

“But to be honest, that was also no different to our previous suppliers.”

McLaren ended their first season back with Mercedes as their power unit supplier fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, the same position they finished in their first year with the German manufacturer back in 1995.