Mclaren Racing Has Joined Formula E

British racing team McLaren Racing has confirmed it will compete in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship from next season, building on its presence within motorsport.

Formula E will join the McLaren Racing’s extensive portfolio that already includes Formula 1, IndyCar, Extreme E, and esports. It will now join the all-electric race series from the start of its ninth season, at the beginning of its Gen3 era. This third generation of Formula E will see the introduction of the series’ fastest, most efficient, and sustainable race car yet.

The decision to enter Formula E follows McLaren Racing signing an option in January 2021 to participate in Season Nine and a period of evaluation, during which time the team entered the Extreme E all-electric off-road series. The move is the next step in McLaren’s ongoing commitment to accelerate its sustainability journey and reach a new, more diverse global audience.

The McLaren Formula E Team will be formed through the acquisition of the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team, expected to complete later this year, that will see the reigning champion team become part of the McLaren Racing family. Ian James will continue to lead the team, enabling a smooth transition to McLaren following the end of the current season.

Zak Brown, CEO, 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. Formula E, like all our racing series, 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.

“I firmly believe that Formula E will give McLaren Racing a competitive advantage through greater understanding of EV racing, while providing a point of difference to our fans, partners and people, and continuing to drive us along our sustainability pathway.”

Ian James, Team Principal, Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team, added, “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.

For Formula E Founder and Chairman, Alejandro Agag, McLaren’s arrival is the culmination of a long-term objective, “I wanted McLaren to be part of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship since Season 1, and I’m delighted we finally made it happen. But it is so much more than just deciding to go racing. Being part of Formula E signals a strategic investment in the future of electric vehicle development. I welcome Zak’s belief that Formula E provides a cutting-edge environment for a proven innovator like McLaren to accelerate their EV experience and performance.

Alejandro added, “I am also happy that the deep skills and capabilities developed by the current Mercedes-EQ team in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will find an exciting new home with McLaren. This will be a formidable team next year.”