McLaren and Mercedes in talks for possible Formula E super team
General
- GPblog.com
McLaren and Mercedes are in talks to team up in Formula E. Mercedes would actually exit as of next season, while McLaren has been considering joining the electric racing class since last year. A collaboration seems to be in the making, but Zak Brown reports that setting up an independent team is also a possibility.
Mercedes wants to stay after all
The Mercedes EQ Formula E team was due to leave the FE, but The-Race.com reports that the German racing team is likely to stay on in the electric racing class after all. The medium reports that serious talks are ongoing with McLaren to jointly create a possible 'independent super team'. In fact, Mercedes' plans to stay in the FE under a new disguise appear to be almost complete. It is likely that Mercedes will then start taking its engine from Nissan from the 2022/2023 season.
Talks between Mercedes and McLaren seem to have become more frequent in recent months, but Mercedes will stop developing the engines in August. If the German racing team wants to keep a team in the FE after that, in addition to possibly working with McLaren, there would have to be a collaboration with Nissan or NIO 333 (the only engine developers in the FE); a considerable joining of forces.
McLaren has choice
So McLaren and Mercedes have long been in talks about a possible collaboration, yet the The-Race says McLaren is not ruling out starting its own FE team without Mercedes. Zak Brown has indicated that at the end of the first quarter (end of next month) a decision will be made on McLaren's participation in Formula E. McLaren only wants to participate if the plans are serious and a competitive team will emerge. Brown: "It’s just key for me that whoever we partner with, whether that’s on the commercial side, on the sporting side, or on the supply side, that it’s the right package and the right set-up to make sure we’re continuing in that vein.”