McLaren Automotive appoints Ian James as new Motorsport Director
NEOM McLaren Electric Racing director Ian James is expanding his responsibilities within McLaren, taking on the role of director of motorsport at McLaren Automotive while maintaining his position as Formula E team principal.
Smiling racer wearing racing jacket
In his new role, James will oversee McLaren's customer GT racing programs and report directly to Automotive CEO Michael Leiters. He succeeds Mick McDonagh, who is retiring after more than four years with the company.
This appointment marks a return to James's roots, as he began his career as a manufacturing engineer on the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren road car project from 2001 to 2005. The former Mercedes Formula E team principal will continue to manage McLaren Racing's electric motorsport programs alongside his new responsibilities.
McLaren CEO Michael Leiters expressed enthusiasm about the appointment, highlighting James's experience and success in motorsport as key factors in accelerating the company's achievements. Leiters also acknowledged McDonagh's contributions, particularly in overseeing McLaren's WEC entry and expansion of the McLaren Trophy championship.
As part of the restructuring, McLaren has created two new management positions:
- Rob Bell, longtime factory driver, becomes sporting director
- Malcolm Gerrish, chief engineer, takes the role of technical and operations director
Both Bell and Gerrish will report directly to James in their new positions.
The NEOM McLaren Formula E team, under James's leadership, will begin its third season on December 7 in Sao Paulo, featuring drivers Sam Bird and newcomer Taylor Barnard, who replaces Jake Hughes.