Mercedes chairman overruled Toto Wolff to finalise McLaren deal he opposed

Meanwhile, McLaren’s struggles began in 2014 when they dropped to the back half of the field using Honda and Renault engines. It wasn’t until they switched back to Mercedes power units in 2021 that things started to turn around.

Lando Norris looks likely to secure back-to-back world titles for McLaren after beating Charles Leclerc last season. Both he and Piastri are among the early favourites for this year’s championship as well.

Toto Wolff was upset about Ola Kallenius reaching an agreement to provide engines for McLaren

Speaking on F1-Insider’s Italian Grand Prix preview, journalist Ralf Bach shed light on how Mercedes’ 2019 decision to supply McLaren with power units came to be.

“I know that Toto Wolff didn’t want this McLaren deal. He simply couldn’t prevent it back then, because [Andreas] Seidl knew with Renault they couldn’t go any further,” Bach said.

“They needed Mercedes engines to take the next step. And back then, Mansour Ojjeh, the McLaren shareholder and legend, was still alive and he basically made the deal directly with the Mercedes boss, Ola Källenius, who himself was always a McLaren fan.

“So suddenly they had Mercedes engines, and that was the basis for getting where they are today. With Renault, that would never have worked.

McLaren overtook both Red Bull and Mercedes during the 2024 season. They won their first constructors’ title since 1998 and are now in a strong position to repeat as champions in 2025. It’s easy to see why Wolff had concerns about giving a rival access to Mercedes’ power units.

How Mercedes’ engine deal helped propel McLaren to the front of the grid

Ola Kallenius’ decision to provide McLaren with Mercedes power units has come back to haunt Toto Wolff, with their rivals now leading the way on track in recent seasons.

Since the start of the 2022 Formula One regulations, Mercedes have struggled to recapture their previous dominance. After winning eight consecutive constructors’ titles from 2014, race wins and podiums have become far less frequent under the current rules.

The turbo-hybrid era, which began in 2014, saw Lewis Hamilton add six more championships to his name, drawing him level with Michael Schumacher’s record of seven drivers’ titles.

Meanwhile, McLaren endured one of their toughest spells during that same period. Struggling at the back and middle of the grid while switching between Honda and Renault engines.

McLaren returned to Mercedes engines at the start of 2021 and have since climbed back into contention at the front. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are now seen as favourites for the title in 2025, with a real chance that Woking could celebrate their first drivers’ championship since 2008.