McLaren Racing will exit its engagement in FE at the end of Season 11, the brand confirms. This decision has been made after a strategic review of its racing portfolio. The decision aims to find future opportunities for growth across their key markets.
The breaking news
On Thursday, multiple media outlets reported that the McLaren name will not appear in the upcoming Gen4 era of FE. According to the reports, CEO Zak Brown informed team principal Ian James about this decision. Formerly, the team was known as the Mercedes EQ team.
The focus shifts to the World Endurance Championship. McLaren Racing confirmed its hypercar entry for the 2027 season. More details will be revealed in June, when the 24 hours of Le Mans takes place. Confirmation of Jaguar Formula E team principal James Barcaly leading McLaren’s sportscar endeavours from 2026 could be included.
With the participation in Formula 1, IndyCar and WEC, McLaren is the only team to compete in these categories even considering his exit from FE.
What Brown says on McLaren ‘s exit from FE:
Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing. “We are immensely proud of what we have achieved in Formula E. The series plays an integral part in the overall motorsport landscape. The time is right to explore other opportunities that more closely align with McLaren Racing’s overall strategic direction – including our 2027 entry into the FIA World Endurance Championship. For now, we are focused on setting this great team up for future success by working towards securing a new owner. The team has delivered a strong start to the year. We intend to finish the season on a high. I’d like to thank the team, Formula E, our partners, and our fans for their continued support.”
What James said on the matter
Ian James, Team Principal & Managing Director, McLaren Electric Racing. “We have been on an incredible journey so far as a team and are rightly proud of our achievements. Since the start of Season 9 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, we have been extremely fortunate to have been an integral part of the McLaren Racing family. My heartfelt thanks goes out to the company, our partners and all of our fans, for their trust and support throughout. It will continue as we fight to the end of this year’s Championship. This team is second-to-none in terms of the talent within. Talent which has delivered huge success in the past and will continue to do so in the future.
“Although our McLaren Racing chapter comes to an end, we recognise the value and power of Formula E as a World Championship and platform for positive change as the sport goes from strength to strength. Work is well underway to explore the best opportunities for the team to continue competing beyond Season 11. In the meantime, we will be giving our all to make sure that we finish the current chapter of our Formula E adventure in style.”
