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McLaren sticking with Mercedes in 2014

ESPN Staff
March 11, 2013 « A podium is 'certainly possible' - Lotus | McLaren needed to take risks with new car - Whitmarsh »
McLaren has been supplied by Mercedes engines since 1995 © Sutton Images
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McLaren has confirmed it will stick with Mercedes engines in 2014 amid talk that it might swap to Honda power in coming years.

McLaren has a contract with Mercedes until 2015 but rumours have linked Honda to a potential engine supply deal when the new V6 turbo engine regulations are introduced next season. Team principal Martin Whitmarsh said there was no change to his team's plans at the moment and that it will certainly remain with Mercedes next year.

"I can categorically say we've been with them for some time, we have a contract , we're talking about that and we've been talking about it for some time," he told the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes phone-in. "There's nothing to announce at the moment and I can't elaborate any further than I did [before]. We have a contract that covers the next three seasons and we will certainly go in to next year with Mercedes-Benz. We will see, we had a long and successful partnership with them and we've heard and read the stories about Porsche, Honda, Hyundai and various stories."

It looks likely that just Renault, Ferrari and Mercedes will be supplying engines to the grid next year when the new regulations come in to force. However, Whitmarsh thinks it is important for the future of the sport that more engine manufacturers join over the coming years.

"F1 at the moment needs new automotive manufacturers to come into the sport," he added. "If we can help that in any way we will do so, but at the moment we are focused on our partnership with Mercedes-Benz, which has been a good partnership, and we will try to win championships with them in the future."

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