The Woking team will leave the premier electric series at the end of the season for strategic reasons.
Surprisingly, today McLaren announced its departure from Formula E at the end of the 2024/2025 season, to focus more on its entry into the WEC, set to begin in 2027, in addition to its usual commitments in Formula 1 and IndyCar.
This is a surprising decision from the Woking team, which entered Formula E in Season 9, especially since the departure will happen a year before the arrival of the new Gen 4 cars, with the Gen 3 EVOs set to be the main focus of the Formula E Championship for the upcoming season.
Now, it will be interesting to see if the Woking team will be replaced starting from the next season, or if it will be in Season 13, which, as mentioned earlier, will mark the debut of the new Gen 4 cars.
McLaren leaves Formula E: Official Statement
Now, let’s share the lengthy statement in which McLaren announced its departure from Formula E, explaining the reasons and the goal of achieving the prestigious Triple Crown by winning the Formula 1 Monaco GP, the Indy 500, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a single calendar year.
McLaren Racing has always been committed to innovation and excellence in motor racing, and our participation in Formula E has been an important part of that journey. The team remains fully committed to fighting for success until the very last race of the season, building on the strong on-track performance to date – including Taylor Barnard becoming the youngest-ever polesitter in Formula E history at the Jeddah E-Prix earlier this year. We are confident the series will continue to form an integral part of the multi-facetted motorsport landscape.
However, we recognise the importance of maintaining a focused and strategic approach to all our racing activities, and this decision will allow us to maximise future opportunities for growth across our key markets and continue to offer partners a versatile and impactful sponsorship ecosystem in the ever-evolving motorsport landscape.
McLaren Racing will be the only motorsport team to compete in Formula 1, IndyCar and the World Endurance Championship from 2027 onwards. And as the only team to have won the prestigious Triple Crown – winning the Monaco GP, the Indy 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans – McLaren Racing will be uniquely placed to strive for this incredible accolade once again.
Following this statement, Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, commented: “We are immensely proud of what we have achieved in Formula E and the series plays an integral part in the overall motorsport landscape, but 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 and 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”, “concluded the CEO of McLaren Racing.”
Finally, here are the statements from Ian James, Team Principal of NEOM McLaren: “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, which 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”,concluded James, thus leaving the door open for a new team starting from the next season.
PHOTO: NEOM Mclaren Formula E, Taylor Barnard, Sam Bird.