The McLaren name is set to disappear from Formula E next year, with a new team name, a fresh new look, and some well-needed investment to continue into the Gen4 era from the end of 2026.
NEOM McLaren has already started assembling a fresh deal package with a registered manufacturer and investment groups to continue into the Gen4 era of Formula E. A deal is expected to conclude by the end of May.
The Future of McLaren in Formula E
Reports from The Race learned that at the Jeddah E-Prix in February, McLaren CEO Zak Brown gave notice to the Team Principal, Ian James. An alternative commercial, naming and manufacturer partnerships would need to be sourced. Thus, meaning that McLaren is leaving Formula E after this generation.
It is expected that in June Jaguar FE team principal, James Barclay, will take the reins of the McLaren sportscar project from 2026 onwards.
McLaren’s entrance into Formula E came from the previous Mercedes EQ team in 2022 for the Gen3 era of the series, with title sponsor NEOM giving majority backing.
The partnership with NEOM is known to have been until 2026 with an potential option to continue for a further four year deal, which has not been taken up.
This may be in turn due to McLarens recent entry into the FIA World Endurance Championship and 24 hours of Le Mans for 2027.
The Specifics
The specific licence of the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team is owned by McLaren Electric Racing Ltd, which lists Ian James and McLaren CEO Zak Brown as two of the four directors of the company.
With it believed that Team Principal James has been scouting for new investors since the start of 2025 with the ultimate aim of him heading up a new-look team in readiness for the 2026-27 season, the first of the Gen4 era.
Ian James spoke with The Race in Miami earlier this month and said
“If I take a look at where we stand today on the manufacturer side of things, the fact that in Gen4 we’ve got Nissan, Porsche, Jaguar, Yamaha now together with Lola all signed up – I’d be very surprised if Stellantis didn’t formally announce something in the not-too-distant future – that as a championship, together with 11 teams, is actually quite a healthy position to be in,”
“But we now need to look at all the other elements of it and make sure they’re equally as healthy so that the way that we structure the revenue proposition for both the investors and for the teams themselves works. Then I think it’s all to play for.”
