Hey, so get this. McLaren’s dropping out of Formula E. Yeah, like, they’re done after the 2024/25 season. It’s kinda wild, but I get it—sort of. They did some deep soul-searching, I guess, and figured they’d rather chase endurance racing dreams or something.
Thinking back, McLaren hopped onto the Formula E train when they bought out what used to be Mercedes EQ. That was around the start of the Gen3 era—or at least that’s what my notes say. Honestly, it’s been like only three years, but it feels longer, doesn’t it?
Jake Hughes and Rene Rast were their main guys in the 2022/23 season. They even snagged a podium at the Saudi Arabian E-Prix, which was… pretty rad. But the next season shook things up—Rast left, and Sam Bird flew in (pun intended, obviously), bagging their first win in India. Oh, and Hughes hit second place in China. Not too shabby, right?
Now, McLaren’s buddy-buddy with Nissan for powertrains or something like that. They’ve been doing pretty well, especially with Taylor Barnard. This rookie guy grabbed three podiums in just five races. I mean, wow, right? Kid’s got talent—or luck. Who knows?
But here’s the catch. Even with all this good stuff happening, McLaren’s turning their sights on endurance racing. It’s a whole new playground for them, and they’re pumped to dive in.
Oh, Zak Brown (the big cheese over there) shouted out a bit too. Said something poetic about exploring new terrains—that kinda corporate speak. Deep down, I think they just want that adrenaline rush from winning stuff like Le Mans again.
Anyway—or wait, not “anyway”—the point is, they’re setting themselves up for a future in endurance racing. They even wanna get a new owner for the Formula E team. Like, McLaren wants the best of both worlds. Greedy? Maybe. Ambitious? Definitely.
Oh, and just a side note from Ian James, who leads the electric squad: They’re having this farewell tour vibe for the final season and aren’t planning to just coast through. He’s all about making a splash till the very end.
Okay, where was I going with this? Ah, whatever, McLaren’s got some big dreams. Can’t blame ’em for trying to conquer the motorsport universe or whatever. We’ll see how that pans out!
