These days, there's much more to McLaren Racing than just the iconic Formula 1 team. We sat down with boss ZBrownCEO to see why he feels its important to branch out
Even so, it’s quite a change: during McLaren’s 1980s and 1990s pomp, it was purely focused on F1, in part because that category became ever more separated from the rest of motorsport. Things began to change in 2017, when the team returned to the Indianapolis 500 with Fernando Alonso – although the car was run by Andretti Autosport.
“For us, sustainability is critically important,” says Brown, noting that it became F1’s first certified carbon-neutral team in 2011. “The combination of the core values of Extreme E and McLaren meant it was a racing series we wanted to be involved in from a brand standpoint. While the bulk of the McLaren Extreme mechanics have come from the F1 operation, the team has sought specialist help. It has a partnership with veteran motorsport outfit Multimatic and leading rallying engineer Leena Gade is its principal engineer. It has also recruited two hugely experienced off-road drivers: American rallycross star Tanner Foust and Kiwi rally driver Emma Gilmour.
Part of the reason why Extreme E – and now Formula E – might seem such an odd choice for McLaren Racing is that the McLaren Automotive road car arm offers neither an EV nor an SUV.