With the new regulations postponed for a year in order to limit the damage the teams suffer due to the lack of races thanks to the coronavirus, McLaren faces a major issue.

As a result of the delay to this season, the current 2020 car will also be used in 2021, but because of the integration of a new engine, the team from Woking will have to build a completely new chassis. An extra chassis no other team will have to develop as they all retain their current powertrains.

Lawrence Barretto, a writer for the official website of Formula 1, concurs with this theory.

“Each manufacturer’s power unit has a very different architecture, so it’s not as simple as taking a Renault out and plugging a Mercedes in.” says Barretto,

“McLaren will have been planning to integrate the Mercedes engine into their 2021 car, which will naturally have a very different layout given the regulation overhaul.

“Changing tack to make it work with their 2020 car will likely have cost implications.”

Cost and crucially time implications too, all during an expensive period of time for the team from Woking who took the opportunity to use 2020 as an investment year before cost caps come into force. The current large scale project includes a brand new state of the art wind tunnel.

As a result that investment in time and money won’t be spent on their 2022 challenge.

1st ever F1 eSport GP – Hilarious Verstappen advice for Norris

With the Corona Virus wiping out the start of the Formula 1 season, we have broadcast tonight the first ever official Virtual GP organised by Formula 1 itself.

Nico Hülkenberg and Nicholas Latifi will be at the start. Lando Norris is also present again plus a mix of real drivers, sim racers and guests.

Johnny Herbert will make his…. READ MORE ON THIS STORY