Saudi Arabia’s NEOM and McLaren team up to boost electric motorsport development
- The sports car maker will become a founding tenant in the research and innovation hub at the $500bn megacity while NEOM will serve as title partner across its e-sports racing teams
Saudi Arabia’s NEOM and McLaren Racing are teaming up to boost electric motorsport development.
McLaren Racing will become a founding tenant in the research and innovation campus of OXAGON, NEOM’s home to advanced and clean industries.
The $500 billion futuristic megacity NEOM will also serve as title partner for the British racing club’s E Teams across Formula E and Extreme E, driving innovation at the forefront of sustainable motorsport.
CEO of NEOM, Nadhmi Al-Nasr, said: “Our partnership with McLaren Racing complements NEOM’s commitment to driving sustainable solutions and tackling some of society’s most pressing challenges.
“NEOM is an economic engine for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and will be a hub for innovative businesses like McLaren Racing to conduct cross-industry research, incubate, collaborate and bring new technologies to the world.”
OXAGON’s Research and Innovation Campus is being designed by international architects Grimshaw and will provide cutting-edge facilities and collaboration spaces to develop industries and products of the future
Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, said: “This is an incredible way to kick off our entry into Formula E and to unify our electric racing series. We are thrilled to introduce NEOM McLaren Electric Racing and to work with NEOM to nurture talent and drive innovation.”
Through its bespoke Accelerator program, McLaren will lend its digital and analytical expertise as a technical partner of OXAGON’s advanced and clean manufacturing ecosystem.
Starting next year, McLaren and NEOM will create a bespoke programme to nurture engineers and students. Twenty Saudi graduates from NEOM’s graduate programme will each take part in a one-year placement with McLaren Racing at its technology centre in the UK.
Entitled ‘The McLaren Way,” the performance and development programme will help unlock the performance and potential of all NEOM teams through a range of initiatives.
The partnership is part of NEOM’s continued commitment to sustainable goals within motorsport across both Formula E and Extreme E, with both race formats competing in racing across the globe.
Building on the success of NEOM’s Mercedes-EQ Formula E principle partners relationship, NEOM McLaren Formula E Team will be formed through the acquisition of the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team, expected to complete later this year.
This will see the reigning champion team become part of the McLaren racing family.
NEOM was also the location for Extreme E’s second-season inaugural race which took place in February. The race helped to raise awareness of the challenges faced by climate change as well as the need to continue developing sustainable motorsport technologies within the region.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has invested significantly in motorsport platforms in recent years, with the Ministry of Sport signing agreements to host Formula E, Extreme E, Formula One and the Dakar Rally.
Enowa, the energy, water and hydrogen unit of Neom, has also signed a multi-year partnership with Extreme E racing to introduce green hydrogen power to its global series.
Enowa will become an active member of Extreme E’s scientific advisory board and will help develop programmes to educate younger generations on climate action, it said.
