McLaren endured a difficult year in Formula E with 12 points finishes across both cars in Season 10.
The Woking-based team joined Formula E ahead of the 2022/23 season as a customer team powered by Nissan.
McLaren finished eighth in the teams’ championship with 88 points. Jake Hughes got his car in the points eight times with a best finish of fifth on three occasions, while Rene Rast scored the team’s only podium with third in Diriyah, but only managed three more points finishes as he failed to score after the race in Sao Paulo.
The German was replaced by experienced driver Sam Bird for Season 10 but inconsistent results hampered the team again. However, peaking with RacingNews365, McLaren CEO Zak Brown was still pleased with the drivers’ performances.
Zak Brown impressed with ‘awesome’ Sam Bird
McLaren had only one car in the points for the opening four rounds of the 2023/24 season, with Bird and Hughes finishing fourth in the respective races at Diriyah.
The next race at Sao Paulo was the team’s first victory in FE, as Bird dramatically snatched victory from Mitch Evans on the penultimate corner for his first win since 2021.
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The McLaren duo did not score points for the next two races before they secured their only double points finish of the season at the second race in Misano, with Hughes finishing eighth with the fastest lap and Bird 10th.
Formula 2 driver Taylor Barnard filled in for Bird after a hand injury in a crash at Monte Carlo ruled him out for three races, where the Brit scored points at both races in Berlin. Only four more points finishes would follow for the rest of the season – Bird and Hughes registering two each.
One of Hughes’ results was the McLaren second podium as he finished second in Shanghai, and Brown praised the two drivers’ displays despite conceding that the team ultimately ‘faded’ across the season.
“I think Sam Bird has come in and done an awesome job – his dramatic late pass to win in Brazil was fantastic,” he said.
“Jake Hughes once again proved how strong a driver he is as well, particularly in Qualifying, and although he’s now left our team, he’s served us well and played a major role in establishing us in this series.
“Ultimately, we started strongly this year and faded a bit, but we will learn from that and work to get that course corrected.”
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Jake Hughes will leave McLaren for Maserati in Season 11
McLaren are yet to complete their line-up for 2024/25 after it was announced that Jake Hughes will leave the team and join Maserati.
The 30-year-old Brit will link up with Season eight champion Stoffel Vandoorne, while Bird will remain with the Woking-based squad. Barnard – who replaced Bird for three races last season – is being tipped as a potential candidate to secure the seat.
Season 11 will bring the biggest technological changes to FE with the Gen3 Evo car, which is set to be the fastest FE car ever and the fastest accelerating car in an FIA championship.
McLaren showed their potential in parts last season with their victory in Sao Paulo, and with the team in ‘good stead’ under team principal Ian James, they could get the best out of the new era in FE.