Amid the aftermath of the thrilling Berlin E-Prix, Formula E officially announced the inclusion of McLaren for the Gen3 era of the electric single-seater series.
Mercedes-EQ, the current champion constructor of the tournament, and whose drivers dominate the season 8 leaderboard, will leave its wake in the new team with all the engineering and innovation. From this point of view, the silver arrow brand will not completely abandon the category.
Mercedes director Ian James will continue to lead the team, allowing for a smooth transition as the squad prepares to appear on the grid under the iconic McLaren name next season.
Read also: Marrakech to Replace Vancouver on the Formula E Calendar
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown noted that entering Formula E demonstrates that the team has always sought to compete against the best and at the forefront of technology, providing fans and partners with new forms of entertainment
“As with all forms of the sport we participate in, Formula E has racing at its core, but will be strategically, commercially and technically additional to McLaren Racing overall,” he said.
Brown believes Formula E will give the team a competitive advantage through a greater understanding of electric vehicle racing, while providing a point of difference to fans, partners and individuals, and continuing to drive them along their sustainability journey.
Pleased at Formula E
The series welcomes McLaren as great news that counters the defections of some teams. Formula E CEO Jamie Reigle stresses that the arrival of the iconic brand will be a powerful lever to attract more fans to electric racing.
“McLaren is one of the historic names in world sport with a global fan base and a glittering list of achievements in 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 names in motorsport, including Porsche, Jaguar, Maserati and Nissan, is in the ABB FIA Formula E FIA World Championship,” he added.
For Formula E Founder and Chairman Alejandro Agag, the inclusion of McLaren is the culmination of a long-term goal and the start of an exciting new chapter.
“I wanted McLaren to be part of the ABB FIA Formula E FIA World Championship from season 1, and I am delighted that we have finally achieved this. But it’s 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,” he stressed.
Written by I Jhonattan González
