McLaren to attract more fans to Formula E

McLaren is expected to attract a bigger audience to the electric racing Championship, Formula E, following its arrival to the series from next season.

ABB FIA Formula E World Championship chief executive Jamie Reigle hopes that McLaren’s arrival to Formula E will be a powerful lever to attract more fans to electric racing.

He said: “McLaren is one of the most iconic names in world sport with a global fanbase and a glittering list of accomplishments across multiple forms of motorsport,”

“From next season and the start of the Gen3 era, the only place to see McLaren go head-to-head with historic motorsport names including Porsche, Jaguar, Maserati and Nissan, is in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

“They will be taking their place on the grid amongst 12 highly-competitive teams and 24 of the sport’s most talented drivers racing in the fastest, most powerful and efficient electric race car ever built. That is a unique and mouth-watering offering for fans, and I am excited that McLaren is joining Formula E to make this dream a reality.”

McLaren Racing will compete from next season, the start of the Gen3 era, following the acquisition of the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team. Currently based at Brackley, the Merc outfit won both the Teams’ and Drivers’ World Championships last season.

Ian James, Team Principal of the Mercedes-EQ squad, will continue to lead the team, enabling a smooth transition. The deal is expected to complete later this year.

“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,” said Zak Brown, McLaren Racing chief executive. “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. 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.”

Alejandro Agag, Formula E founder and chairman, admitted that McLaren’s impending arrival is the culmination of an objective he has pursued for eight years. He commented: “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.”

McLaren Racing has said it will announce further details on its Formula E programme, including its powertrain provider and driver line-up, in due course.