Could McLaren Be Gunning For ‘Silent Victories’?
It’s unfortunate (for some) that in the current day new and pre-existing manufacturers are turning away from Formula 1 and heading to the Formula E circuit. I’m all for an EV future, but with F1’s future being undetermined at the present time, who knows what’s in store for the sport. On the other hand, what we lose from F1 we gain in Formula E. McLaren – who have found recent success in F1 with their new driver lineup and updated car (after years of Alonso woes) – has signed an agreement allowing them the option to join FE for the 2022-2023 racing season.
Formula 1 has played a key role in the development of EV tech, and FE takes that a step further. Once F1 had moved away from the screeching V12’s and V8’s, the motorsport turned to hybrid V6’s that required an immense amount of R&D for teams to perfect. With that, came tons of improved EV tech for the OEM’s (involved) hybrid road-way vehicle sales.
With hypercars quickly heading in the direction of fully electric drivetrains, it would only make sense for companies to jump over to the fully EV racing series to develop their tech and kill two birds with one stone.
Currently, McLaren has a contract with the Formula E organization to be the sole proprietor of the entire motorsports Gen2 batteries for four seasons. The contract will conclude after this year’s season, and McLaren will head to the drawing-board to weigh the pros and cons of entering the motorsport for the following year.
Zak Brown, McLaren Racing’s CEO said “We’ve been closely observing Formula E for some time and monitoring the series’ progress and future direction. The opportunity to take an option on an entry, together with the completion of the McLaren Applied supplier contract with the FIA at the end of Gen 2, gives us the necessary time to decide if Formula E is right for McLaren as a future competition platform.”
