F1

Will McLaren ever make their own engines?

  • This topic has 29 replies, 14 voices, and was last updated 13 years ago by McG.
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  • #128990
    SteveMovieVoice
    Participant

    This is something I’ve been wondering for some time, will Mclaren ever create their own engine? McLaren are second only to Ferrari in terms of stature and history, yet 1 team does everything ‘in house’ and the other relies on customer engine deals or partnerships. Both were set up to run race teams, but only Ferrari have gone down the car manufacture route, perhaps due to their owners being a car company in Fiat. In recent years, McLaren have shown an increased presence in the car industry, with the McLaren F1, Mercedes SLR Mclaren and the new MP4-12C all being deceloped my McLaren. The MP4-12C has an engined created by McLaren, but will this lead to the team developing an F1 engine in a couple of years? I heard rumours that when BMW closed their F1 programme, McLaren may have stepped in and take over the engine department, only a rumour, but could it be indication that they’re interested in an F1 engine? I hope so….

    #163029
    Hare
    Participant

    I agree. I think McLaren will create their own engine, but it would only make sense in 2013 when the new engine rules come in.

    If they can build an F1 engine, it would also make sense to sell it on to customer teams that use and rely on other McLaren technology, such as Force India.

    #163030
    wasiF1
    Participant

    I think they will when the new engine will be apply from 2013,remember that their new sports car is Turbo Charged. Though both Mclaren & Mercedes said that they will be partner until 2015 but that can be broken in F1.

    #163031
    Asanator
    Participant

    I think they will build their own engine for 2015, after their tie in with Mercedes ends. Mercedes have sold their equity in McLaren and the two parties will part ways for 2015.

    #163032
    Prisoner Monkeys
    Participant

    I’m pretty sure they’ve talked about it. They bought Mercedes’ stake in the team when Mercedes purchased Brawn, so maybe the current deal will expire in time for 2013 and the new engine regulations.

    #163033
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I expect that they’ll become fully McLaren in 2013. Mercedes have their own team now, and I doubt they’ll want their engine in a rival top-flight team for too many years longer. As you say, the 12C has an in-house McLaren engine in the back (unlike the BMW in the F1, and obviously Mercs in the McLaren styled Benz road cars), and I’m certain McLaren will want to extend their new engine expertise to their Formula 1 machines.

    #163034
    AndrewTanner
    Participant

    Agreed :) McLaren should get round to it soon. As said previous, Mercedes won’t want to give a big rival such an easy chance of success. McLaren will want to postpone it though, the Mercedes is regarded as the best engine.

    #163035
    cyanide
    Participant

    Designing an engine from the ground up is a very very very difficult task. Designing aero parts is relatively less difficult because the manufacturing is a commonly-known process that most of the engineers would know. Not to say that designing aero is easy, but it’s usually a single guy’s vision pulling the rest of the aero staff in his direction.

    Designing something that can make 800 horsepower without exploding/disintegrating and going through 2-3 races while having atleast 50-100 moving parts is not something that can be developed over a period of a year.

    There is a reason why Ferrari or Mercedes engines make the amount of power that they do while having the reliability. They’ve been at it for dogs years and their current designs are always a refinement of the designs used in the making of the previous engines which includes decades of experience. There is hardly a revolution in engine-building unless you throw a completely new set of rules at the engine manufacturers. Consider how long Mercedes engines have been the most powerful and you’ll understand what I’m saying.

    Secondly, building a bulletproof engine requires more engineers from more faculties than the rest of the car’s staff put together. You need metallurgical engineers, electrical engineers, chemical engineers and who knows how many more.

    Sorry for the wall of text, but I build engines and cannot stand people who think that a new engine can be developed over a weekend while sitting on your couch in the living room.

    This is not to say that they won’t ever get to it. McLaren have already got their hands into the bucket by building the 12C engine, but compared to the engineering required to build an F1 engine, the 12C’s engine is nothing. They’ll get to it for sure, but don’t expect them to be reliable or powerful if they’re running a McLaren engine inside during the first race in 2013.

    #163036
    AndrewTanner
    Participant

    One step back, two steps forward!

    #163037
    Asanator
    Participant

    Exactly, I reckon it is being worked on already with the goal of introducing it in 2015.

    #163038
    cyanide
    Participant

    If they start to get into it seriously, expect to see them hiring a lot of new engineers, whether it is at the HQ or people travelling with the race team. There is a difference in being able to use an engine properly and making one. I’d love to see them building engines, but for a company who has outsourced their work for decades now, it’s going to be an uphill task.

    #163039
    AndrewTanner
    Participant

    I don’t doubt that! Could it open a more commercial market for McLaren?

    #163040
    SteveMovieVoice
    Participant

    Apparently McLaren are looking at doing it….www.planetf1.com/news/3213/6801795/McLaren-to-go-it-alone- I take full responsibility for encouraging them to do it.

    #163041
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    How dumb R some people???

    It has long been common knowledge that Ron (Dennis) wishes to create the

    English Ferrari.

    He has the F1 team in place, everything is going to his plan.

    In the 90s, do U remember the Mclaren F1 road car that competed with

    the Jaguar XJ220 for the fastest car title??

    Well Mclaren R in the process of building their own engine.

    They have created another road car MP4 something C.

    Mclaren F1 team will build their own engine in the immediate future.

    Mercedes have been worries recently and repurchased shares in Mclaren.

    Though the engine deal expires in a couple of years, something like 2013/15

    After which the Mclaren team will use their own engine.

    #163042
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    12… MP4-12C

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