McLaren Tag

By FIA The motorsport world is today mourning the death of Formula 1 legend Niki Lauda, who passed away last night at the age of 70. Paying tribute to Austrian legend, FIA President Jean Todt said: “Niki Lauda was a hero of motor sport, who inspired me in my youth. He is a milestone in the history of Formula One. All my thoughts go out to his family, friends and to Mercedes.” Chase Carey, Chairman and CEO, Formula 1 added: “It is with great sadness that we learned of the deathRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer INDIANAPOLIS– Two-time Formula One champion Fernando Alonso was the first driver to wreck during practice ahead of the 103rd Running of the Indianapolis 500. Alonso’s No. 66 McLaren Chevrolet had been having understeer issues. It was roughly 1.5 hours into Day 2 practice  when the Spaniard brushed the wall exiting Turn 3, which led to him spinning and hitting the inside wall with the rear of the car before sliding across the track again and hitting the Turn 4 wall. “It was understeer on the car,Read More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer LONG BEACH, California – McLaren could be well on their way to a full-time entry sooner rather than later in the NTT IndyCar Series. Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren, traded the milestone 1000th Formula One grand prix in Shanghai, China, for the always festive Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, the site of the fourth round of the 2019 IndyCar championship. It was there during a media availability he shared some of the vision of the organization’s plans, as well as his thoughts on the one-offRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Farewell Honda, and hello Chevrolet as Fernando Alonso’s second Indianapolis 500 start will be powered by 2.2 liter twin turbocharged Bowtide Brand for his McLaren Racing entry. “It will be a privilege to wear the Bowtie Brand at the 2019 Indy 500,” Alonso about the announcement. “Having Chevrolet power behind me means we’re putting ourselves in the best possible position to compete at the front.” Last week, Alonso got a glimpse of running a Chevy-powered car when he tested seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson’s Camaro ZL1Read More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief AUSTIN, Texas – McLaren Racing will not be fielding a full-time entry in the Verizon IndyCar Series for the 2019 season, but remains keen on the potential of a return in the Indianapolis 500. The confirmation came from McLaren CEO Zak Brown during Friday’s FIA press conference for the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas. “We’ve taken the decision to not compete on a full-time basis in 2019,” Brown said. “We’re simply not ready yet and very focused on Formula 1. So weRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief McLaren have announced that Coca-Cola has signed on as a partner for the remainder of the 2018 Formula One campaign. The iconic beverage company has a history in the sport, most notably with Lotus in 2012 with its Burn energy drink. “Coca-Cola has a rich history of sponsorship and a record of innovative activations and we are honored the company has chosen to partner with McLaren to explore opportunities in Formula 1,” said Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing. “Formula 1 as a sport is changing,Read More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Fourteen rounds done, seven to go, and since my first installment, there’s been so many changes across all 10 Formula 1 constructors and its 20 drivers. A few would-be contenders have gone by the wayside like Fernando Alonso and Red Bull, and others have flourished after a quiet or abysmal opening leg such as Kimi Raikkonen and Haas F1. We even saw a hot mess behind closed doors, resulting a new constructor and have so far been tremendous. In my latest installment of “Heptagon Viewpoints,”Read More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief McLaren has confirmed that Lando Norris will join the team for the 2019 Formula 1 season. The 18-year-old Brit moves up from his reserve role with the Woking-based squad to replace the departing Stoffel Vandoorne. With the addition of Carlos Sainz, Jr. previously announced, this move completes an all-new driver lineup for the team for next year. Currently second in the FIA Formula 2 championship, Norris is undoubtedly eager for the next step in his young career. “To be announced as a race driver for McLarenRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief McLaren announced that Stoffel Vandoorne will leave following the 2018 Formula 1 season. The 26-year-old Belgian has endured a rough year that has seen him collect just eight points through 13 races, while teammate Fernando Alonso has amassed 44 points over the same span. A veteran of 34 F1 starts to date, Vandoorne first joined the Woking-based squad in 2013 as part of their Young Driver Program and went on to quickly become their test pilot the following year. After winning the 2015 GP2 Series (nowRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief After much anticipation on the future of Fernando Alonso, it has been confirmed that he will step away from racing in Formula 1 at the end of the season. The 37-year-old Spaniard owns 32 Grand Prix victories (sixth all-time) and two F1 championships. “After 17 wonderful years in this amazing sport, it’s time for me to make a change and move on,” Alonso said. “I have enjoyed every single minute of those incredible seasons and I cannot thank enough the people who have contributed to makeRead More