Formula 1 team, McLaren Racing has announced that it will also participate in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship from next season, ushering in the Gen3 era.
McLaren Racing has been dedicated to vying on the world’s biggest stages with the best teams, at the cutting edge of technology. The newest offering to the iconic teams’ racing portfolio aims to accelerate McLaren Racing’s knowledge of EV technology as an integral part of their sustainability journey while hitting a new, more varied worldwide audience.
McLaren Racing decided to enter Formula E after signing an opportunity to compete in season nine in January 2021. The decision also represents McLaren’s pledge to Formula E’s third generation, which will see the emergence of the series’ quickest, most convenient, and sustainable race car to date.
The McLaren Formula E Team will be formed by obtaining the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team, which is scheduled to be completed later this year. As part of a deal between McLaren Racing and Mercedes-Benz, the defending champion of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship team will move into the McLaren Racing family.
The Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team’s Principal, Ian James, will proceed to lead the team, ensuring a smooth shift as the team gets ready to compete on the grid under the classic McLaren name in the upcoming season.
Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, said, “McLaren Racing always seeks to compete against the best and on the leading edge of technology, providing our fans, partners and people with new ways to be excited, entertained and inspired. Like all our racing series, Formula E fulfils all those criteria.
“As with all forms of the sport we participate in, Formula E has racing at the centre but will be strategically, commercially and technically additive to McLaren Racing overall. It is also satisfying to provide a home for the class-leading Formula E team that Mercedes has built, which will become a fully-fledged part of the McLaren Racing family. While run separately to our F1 and IndyCar teams, Formula E complements and builds out our EV racing programme alongside Extreme E.”
Ian James, Team Principal, Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team, said, “Today’s announcement confirms the next exciting chapter in the development of the team. Since our inception in 2019, performance, sustainability and adaptability have been the keys to our success. Mercedes-Benz have been the main enablers for this team so far and when we started this journey, we could only have hoped for the results we’ve achieved to date. The company’s clear objectives and technological expertise accelerated our ambitions, and I would like to thank them for being the most supportive owner by helping us to do what we do best: racing. Now, once again, they have been instrumental in securing the right partner to continue our Formula E journey.
“Becoming part of the McLaren Racing family is a privilege. McLaren has always been synonymous with success and high performance. This is a great moment for all parties involved but, above all, for the people that make up this team. They are what keeps its heart beating. Being able to continue working with them is what I am most excited about.
“I’m very much looking forward for this next chapter for the team and will be a proud member of it in Season 9. Until then, we will be focused on delivering the best results possible as the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team, for the remainder of the current season.”