By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief
McLaren Racing revealed that Bob Fernley has been appointed as president of McLaren IndyCar.
The former deputy team principal of Force India, Fernley will lead the Indy 500 program, which returns two-time Formula One champion Fernando Alonso, and will report directly to Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing.
Fernley will be responsible for putting together and leading a technical team, which will stay entirely exclusive to the IndyCar operation. He will also help evaluate McLaren Racing’s potential full-time involvement in the future.
“Heading back to the Brickyard will be a very special experience for me,” Fernley said, via a team release.
“I am proud to be leading this McLaren project and team. The 500 is a hell of a challenge and we have incredibly strong competitors to overcome if we’re to be successful. We will need to prepare well for the month of May and that work starts now.”
Fernley’s past records of success include stops in Can-Am and IndyCar in 1980s, which made him an easy choice for Brown.
“Bob is a fantastic operator and someone I respect greatly,” Brown said.
“His experience and leadership will be essential for us on this project. He is particularly talented at putting effective teams together and extracting maximum performance with finite resources. The Indy 500 is no easy race and Bob’s is a key role, so I’m delighted he’s on board.”
