McLaren Racing will field a team in the Extreme E electric off-road racing series from next year. The company says its new Extreme-E project will help fuel the team’s sustainability aspirations while attracting new fans and “growing the McLaren Racing brand and franchise.”
- The new team will operate with existing staff outside of McLaren’s F1 team
- McLaren believes new series will help its sustainability and diversity agenda
McLaren gets into Extreme E.
McLaren has had one of the most famous records in F1 history with 182 Grand Prix victories and 12 drivers’ championships since entering the sport in 1966. The company expanded into the IndyCar series last season with the US team Arrow McLaren SP.
With Extreme E’s environmental focus and the fact that each team is fielding a female rider, McLaren believes getting into the series will help accelerate its sustainability and diversity agenda.
McLaren Racing boss Zak Brown commented on the move: “McLaren has always been at the forefront and was never afraid of pushing new boundaries. This new company is true to our roots of participating in a wide variety of categories, innovation and valor. Extreme E paves new paths in motorsport as a force for good to face some of the greatest challenges of our world today and in the future. “
Brown added that “Formula 1 will always be at the center of our world, but the new project will“ complement and support all of our programs ”.
Extreme E has strict caps on the number of employees each team can hire, and McLaren says the Extreme E team will be made up of existing employees outside of the F1 program and newly hired specialists.
McLaren Racing already has experience in electric motorsport and has developed and supplied the battery drives for the 1st and 2nd generation Formula E cars. As part of the McLaren Group, the racing division is separate from McLaren Automotive.
What is Extreme E?
The main focus of Extreme E, which opened its inaugural season earlier this year, is to highlight the effects of climate change in some of the world’s most remote environments while promoting the adoption of electric vehicles.
The series currently comprises nine teams who have to use identical 543 hp electric spaceframe SUVs. Each team drives a single car for a male and a female driver who have to swap halfway through each race.
McLaren will join a diverse line-up of teams in Extreme E, including operations led by Indycar colleagues Ganassi Racing and Andretti United. Cupra operates a team in collaboration with touring car and rallycross specialist Abt, while F1 champions Sir Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Jenson Button all have their own teams.
This year, the Rosberg X Racing duo of Johan Kristofferson and Molly Taylor defeated Hamilton’s team X44 and won the first two events in Saudi Arabia and Senegal respectively.
See also:
Rosberg X Racing wins the first Extreme E-Race in Saudi Arabia
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