- Ian James appointed as new Director of Motorsport at McLaren Automotive
- Current Managing Director of NEOM McLaren Electric Racing will combine duties with his new McLaren Motorsport role
- Rob Bell to become Sporting Director and Malcolm Gerrish assumes role of Technical Operations Director
- Ian replaces Mick McDonagh, who is retiring from McLaren Automotive
- Appointment coincides with McLaren and United Autosports confirming continued participation in WEC for 2025 season subject to entries being officially confirmed
McLaren Automotive today announces the appointment of Ian James as Director of Motorsport, overseeing all of McLaren Automotive’s GT products and customer racing activities and reporting into CEO Michael Leiters, effective from December 1, 2024.
Ian joined McLaren in 2022 as Managing Director of NEOM McLaren Electric Racing, Team Principal of the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team and assuming responsibility for the NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team. This marked a return to McLaren for Ian, who began his professional career as a Manufacturing Engineer on the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren programme from 2001-2005.
Ian will continue his Formula E duties in addition to his new McLaren Automotive Motorsport role. His appointment strengthens the sporting links and strategies between the McLaren Automotive and Racing divisions, which currently compete in the Formula 1, World Endurance and Formula E World Championships as well as Indycar in the USA.
Ian replaces Mick McDonagh, who will be retiring after more than four years with McLaren Automotive. Mick, who has played an instrumental role at McLaren in multiple positions across the business and oversaw McLaren’s entry into FIA WEC with racing partner United Autosports, will be supporting the leadership transition.
The appointment coincides with McLaren and United Autosports confirming their continued participation in WEC for the 2025 season subject to entries being officially confirmed. This follows McLaren’s debut campaign which included a historic return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In addition to this appointment, two new leadership roles have been created in McLaren Motorsport. Factory Driver Rob Bell will take on the role of Sporting Director and Chief Engineer Malcolm Gerrish will take on the role of Technical and Operations Director, with both reporting into Ian.
“I look forward to welcoming Ian and enhancing collaboration with our Racing colleagues. In Motorsport, we prove the performance and durability of our cars on the track and demonstrate to the world our racing pedigree and Ian’s experience and success in this arena will accelerate our achievements.
I would like to thank Mick for his dedication and service to McLaren in leading this significant pillar of our brand. His leadership in this area, in which he has overseen our entry in WEC as well as the expansion of the McLaren Trophy championship, has been integral to its ongoing success.”
Michael Leiters, Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Automotive
Ends
Notes to editors:
A selection of high-resolution images accompanying this release is available to download from the McLaren Automotive media site – cars.mclaren.press
About McLaren Automotive:
McLaren Automotive is a producer of ultra high-performance, lightweight supercars. Launched in 2010, the company is now the largest part of the McLaren Group.
Headquartered at the McLaren Technology Centre (MTC) in Woking, Surrey, England, McLaren Automotive is driven by the challenge of creating the world’s most exhilarating, engaging and benchmark setting vehicles. Leveraging over 60 years of history in authentic, racing performance, McLaren has delivered some of the most spectacular supercars ever made.
The company’s product portfolio of GTS, supercar, Motorsport and Ultimate models are retailed in over 40 markets around the world. Its cars are assembled by hand at the McLaren Production Centre (MPC), based on the same campus as MTC in Woking.
McLaren is a pioneer that continuously pushes the boundaries. In 1981, it introduced lightweight and strong carbon fibre chassis technology into Formula 1 with the McLaren MP4/1.
Then in 1993 it designed and built the legendary McLaren F1 road car. Built around a carbon fibre chassis, it established McLaren’s supercar DNA, realised for the 21st century in 2011 with the introduction of the McLaren 12C – McLaren Automotive’s first production car.
McLaren was the first to deliver a hybrid hypercar, the McLaren P1™, in 2013. Launching the Ultimate Series of vehicles, P1™ was followed by the McLaren Senna in 2018 and its track-only GTR derivative followed a year later. 2019 also saw the introduction of the Speedtail hybrid hyper-GT and at the end of the year the open-cockpit Elva roadster – the lightest McLaren road car ever – was announced.
McLaren’s LT models represent the ultimate expression of track performance in series production supercars. Limited in volume, they are distinguished by a name coming from the ‘Longtail’ version of the F1 GTR, which first raced in 1997. The LT designation was incorporated into McLaren Automotive nomenclature in 2015 with the arrival of the 675LT coupe and 675LT Spider. In 2018, the McLaren LT portfolio grew with the announcement of the 600LT, and in 2020 and 2021 respectively the 765LT coupe and 765LT Spider were introduced.
Also in 2021, the company unveiled its all-new high-performance hybrid supercar, the McLaren Artura. The Artura is the first McLaren to benefit from the McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture (MCLA). The MCLA is designed, developed and manufactured at the McLaren Composites Technology Centre in the Sheffield region of England using world-first processes and will spearhead the brand’s electrified future.
2022 saw McLaren announce the Solus GT, a single-seat, closed-cockpit track car which brought to life a futuristic concept that was originally created for virtual gaming.
In 2023, McLaren unveiled its lightest and most powerful series-production supercar, the 750S – a thorough development of the award-winning 720S supercar. McLaren also introduced the new GTS, replacing the McLaren GT.
The McLaren Artura Spider was revealed in early 2024 as the brand’s first high-performance hybrid convertible. Its introduction was part of a major model year uplift for the Artura nameplate, and meant McLaren’s series-production line-up of GTS, new Artura and 750S had been introduced within 12 months of each other.
A new chapter in the McLaren ‘1’ car story was announced in October 2024, with the reveal of the McLaren W1 supercar. A clear successor to the McLaren F1 and McLaren P1TM, the W1 is the manifestation of McLaren’s World Championship mindset, with epic power and performance and new heights of dynamic and aerodynamic excellence.
McLaren Automotive also chooses to partner with like-minded, world-leading companies and organisations who push the boundaries in their respective fields. These include Ashurst, Bowers & Wilkins, Dynisma, Gulf, Pirelli, Richard Mille and Tumi.
About McLaren Group:
The McLaren Group is a global leader in high-performance supercar production and elite motorsports.
Founded in 1963 by racer, engineer and entrepreneur Bruce McLaren, the Group is formed of McLaren Automotive, which hand-builds lightweight supercars and races them in global series, including the World Endurance Championship; and a majority stake in McLaren Racing which competes in six racing series.
The team competes in FIA Formula 1 World Championship, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, the ABB FIA Formula E World, the Extreme E Championship as the NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team, and F1 Academy with ART Grand Prix, and the F1 Sim Racing Championship.
The Group is globally headquartered at the iconic McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England.
With a reputation for innovation and technological excellence, McLaren is one of the UK’s largest independent companies.
