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Knockout! McLaren finds no buyer, Team officially disbanded

15:55, 08 Jul

Updated: 13:41, 10 Jul

byLudo van Denderen

After announcing its departure from Formula E, McLaren hoped to transfer the team to a new owner, but that has not been successful. As a result, the team featuring drivers Sam Bird and Taylor Barnard will be disbanded at the end of the month.

The upcoming races in Berlin and London will therefore be the last for the team led by team boss Ian James. The departure comes as a heavy blow to the team's staff and Formula E. In the next season, there will be only twenty cars on the FE grid, the lowest number since the '17-'18 season. Barnard has meanwhile found a new employer. The talent is moving on to Penske.

McLaren previously announced it would join the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and therefore quit the electric series, Formula E. It was always intended for a buyer to be found to acquire the team, and indeed there was significant interest. Talks were held about a collaboration with Stellantis brands, such as Citroen or Opel, but ultimately they did not materialize.

Trouble for the Maserati Team

Formula E is currently facing more problems with teams. The financially troubled Maserati is currently being partially sustained with the support of the Formula E organization. The Monaco-based team is also looking for a buyer, and Citroen is again in the picture.

But a deal is far from certain. It is not ruled out that next season, there will only be eighteen cars on the FE grid.