McLaren-Mercedes reunion good for F1 - Hakkinen

Mika Hakkinen says the return of a McLaren-Mercedes partnership to Formula 1 will only be a benefit to the Woking squad and the sport as a whole.

McLaren and Mercedes were partners from 1995 to 2014, with three drivers' titles, a constructors' championship and 78 of the team's 182 grand prix victories delivered in that time.

Hakkinen was responsible for two of those drivers' titles, in 1998 and 1999, and all 20 of his grand prix victories were secured in a McLaren-Mercedes.

Having taken supply from Honda and Renault in the time since, McLaren failed to recapture their former glories and have sought another change, which the Finn hopes can finally take the team back to the top.

"It is very satisfying to see McLaren return to a position of relative competitiveness, and this week's news that they use Mercedes engines from 2021 onwards is very significant," Hakkinen wrote for Unibet.

"I won both my World Championships for McLaren-Mercedes, and this week is the 18th anniversary of my 20th and final victory for McLaren.

"It is a partnership that worked very well in the past, and team boss Andreas Seidl has identified this as being a key element in McLaren's strategy to become winners again.

"The 2019 season is not even finished but already Formula 1 is turning its attention to 2020 and even 2021, when new regulations should make it possible for more teams to compete to win.

"McLaren's determination to join Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull Racing in battling for victories is important, both for them and for Formula 1."

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