An iconic brand of world motorsport as McLaren could not be out of a tournament that evolves more each year as Formula E, which in less than a decade already has the status of FIA World Championship and is one of the pillars of sustainability of the highest body that governs motorsport.
With its technological power and strong financial muscle from Saudi Arabia, NEOM McLaren seeks to be a protagonist in the electric single-seater series.
This was stated by the team’s Director, Zak Brown, in an interview published by McLaren’s official website after a week of testing at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia, Spain.
With the use of Nissan engines for Season 9 and the start of this new Gen3 era of Formula E, the squad impressed in testing with the return of Rene Rast and rookie Jake Hughes in the top 10 on the timesheets during the seven sessions that took place.
“It’s a great opportunity for us,” Brown said. “Mercedes was choosing to get out of the sport and now we’re at the beginning of what is Gen3 Formula E, its third generation.”
On filling the place left by Mercedes on the grid, the executive noted that there is a lot to learn, but the opportunity to acquire a team that won the last two championships and keep it intact was very attractive.
Related content:Formula E Releases Behind-the-Scenes Documentary
Transition
“We’re very excited to be able to have the Mercedes employees now be McLaren employees. I think, given our history with Mercedes, it was a good way to transition from the Mercedes family to the McLaren family. So, I’m excited to work with all the men and women in the racing team,” Brown explained.
The decision to enter Formula E was not just a sporting decision, as the broad scope of the racing series will give them a competitive advantage both on and off the track. It also encompasses the company’s sustainability drive, which is key to its future.
“We decided to enter because in a very short period of time, we saw the success of Extreme E for our fans, employees and partners and said ‘let’s double down,’ because sustainability is very important to us,”, said Brown.
The McLaren boss believes that, with all these different forms of motorsport, Formula 1 must open the compass and learn from other categories and feed back with innovations and environmentally friendly technologies.
