• Loading stock data...
Saturday, July 12, 2025

McLaren’s Mercedes-Driven Redesign

  • McLaren is using a Mercedes engine in an effort to catch up to its most dominant rival.
  • By 2026, all of McLaren’s luxury cars will use a hybrid engine.
Photo: McLaren/Design: Alex Brooks

Repeatedly left in the dust by top race car maker Mercedes, British competitor McLaren redesigned its Formula One 2021 contender using the German automaker’s engine.

Mercedes won 13 of the 17 races in the 2020 Formula One World Championship. McLaren wants to compete more effectively with the current champion going forward.

McLaren’s MCL35M, the successor to the MCL35, required a redesign to accommodate the Mercedes unit: it features a new chassis, gearbox, and fuel, hydraulic, electrical, and cooling systems. 

The U.K.-based racer hopes the new model can eventually end its Formula One losing streak, which dates back to 2012.

McLaren is also making major changes to its luxury cars, spurred not by losses at the track, but by goals and mandates of European countries and U.S. states. All new McLaren’s will be hybrids by 2026, with plans to produce all-electric models by the end of the decade.

  • In February, McLaren released the Artura, its latest hybrid model.
  • McLaren developed a carbon composite chassis in-house, has plans to make its own batteries, and is looking to monetize both technologies with other automakers. 
  • In 2018, the company committed $1.67 billion to research and development through 2025. 

McLaren, defined by its light weight, faces new challenges in designing an EV, due to the heaviness of today’s car batteries.

Vehicle mass is the enemy of performance whether a car has a conventional internal combustion engine or a fully electrified powertrain, so winning the weight race is an absolute priority for us,” CEO Mike Flewitt said last year.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Jun 15, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Mercedes driver George Russell (63) leads the second lap over Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (1) during the F1 Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.

Apple Vies With ESPN for U.S. Formula One Rights

ESPN’s rights agreement with F1 has been worth about $90 million annually.
Mar 30, 2025; Austin, TX, USA; The team of Alex Marquez (73) of Spain and BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP celebrate as he comes in second place in the 2025 Grand Prix of the Americas at Circuit of The Americas.

European Watchdog Clears Liberty Media’s $5B MotoGP Buy

Liberty Media now owns both the motorcycle racing league and F1.

Verstappen Nears F1 Suspension After ‘Mario Kart’–Style Mayhem

The Red Bull driver received penalty points in Sunday’s race.

Featured Today

Bobbleheads are seen at Vintage Indy Sports, Tuesday, April 29, 2025 in Speedway. The local sports memorabilia store opened recently.

Baseball’s Bobbleheads Are the Center of the Collectibles Universe

Baseball’s most important keepsake drives long lines—and big business.
Rimouski, QC - JUNE 1: Final Game of the 2025 Memorial Cup between the Medicine Hats Tigers and the London Knights on June 1, 2025, at the Colisée Financière Sun Life in Rimouski, Qc.
July 11, 2025

CHL Is Facing a ‘Pandora’s Box’ of Questions Amid NCAA Talent Departure

As players defect to college, the Canadian Hockey League won’t cede ground.
Jun 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field.
July 9, 2025

The Torpedo Bat Business Is Still Going Strong: ‘Here to Stay’

Demand for the oddly shaped bats has stayed strong across the sport.
July 6, 2025

American Celebs Want to Be Sports Owners. Soccer Is Where They Start

As U.S. team prices climb, investors set their sights abroad.

UFC’s Vegas Sphere Fight Should Set Records

The MMA fight has big aspirations and a budget to match.
August 13, 2024

Duael’s One-On-One Racing Brackets Are Yet Another Stab at Saving Track

Duael will debut in March 2025 with the inaugural Duael 100.
September 8, 2024

Guardian Caps Make NFL Debut

Multiple NFL players wore Guardian Caps over their helmets Sunday.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
August 11, 2024

Guardian Caps Have Arrived in the NFL—Ahead of Schedule

Colts star Jonathan Taylor strapped one on for Sunday’s preseason game.
August 5, 2024

How Omega Timing Determined Noah Lyles Won Olympic Gold

Omega touches every corner of the Olympics.
The Adidas ball has changed over the years.
July 25, 2023

The Most Advanced Tech at the Women’s World Cup Might Surprise You

This year’s OCEAUNZ introduces connected ball technology to the women’s game.
Sponsored

Rewriting the Sports Media Playbook

WSC’s highlight automation improved Clemson’s content strategy and overall growth.