The steps for McLaren to enter Formula E are taking shape. The iconic team will take Mercedes’ place and has now reached an agreement with Nissan to use its powertrain.
Weeks ago, McLaren Director Zak Brown had already said that the team would not develop its own machine, so they were in talks to acquire the process from another manufacturer.
Nissan has taken important steps that demonstrate its strong interest in Formula E. In 2018, they came to the electric single-seater series to supplant Renault, earlier this year they bought e.dams to take full control of the workforce, and now they take on the challenge of leading the engineering of a historic brand like McLaren.
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In that sense, Nissan Director Tommaso Volpe emphasized that they are not only participating in the category to compete, but also to demonstrate to a wide range of spectators how “impressive, powerful and efficient our electric vehicles are in general.”
“Our collaboration with McLaren will give us even more opportunities when it comes to accelerating the development of our technology and showing it to fans around the world,” he added.
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For his part, Brown believes this will be a partnership that will boost both McLaren’s performance and the development of Nissan’s powertrain technology in Formula E.
“Nissan has demonstrated its knowledge, skill and commitment over the past four seasons in Formula E, as well as going into the Gen3 era. We have every confidence that the partnership will bring many successes to both parties,” the executive assured.
Drivers and Funding
After defining the seat with which it will participate and the powertrain it will use in Formula E, McLaren has on its agenda to define the drivers who will be behind the wheel of the team.
Likewise, the team is conducting intense negotiations to obtain commercial partners that will allow it to participate in the series with the required economic boost, and according to information published by Motorsport, the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund would be one of the manufacturer’s allies.
