McLaren CEO Zak Brown has issued a statement following....

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has issued a statement following….read more

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has expressed his excitement following the completion of the purchase of Arrow McLaren, making it a fully-owned subsidiary of McLaren Racing. The acquisition marks the final step in the integration of the IndyCar team into McLaren’s global motorsport operations. The move follows McLaren’s initial stake acquisition in the team, which began back in 2020. With this 100% ownership, McLaren Racing is now positioned to strengthen its presence in the American market, an area the company has been focusing on expanding in recent years.

Arrow McLaren’s history traces back to 2001 when former IndyCar driver Sam Schmidt founded the team under the name Sam Schmidt Motorsports. Schmidt’s vision, fueled by his racing experience, laid the foundation for a team that would become one of the key competitors in IndyCar. In 2013, Canadian businessman Ric Peterson came on board as a co-owner, and the team was subsequently rebranded to Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. The team continued to build on its success until 2020, when it adopted the name Arrow McLaren SP, signaling the formal partnership with McLaren.

McLaren’s involvement with the team grew significantly in 2021 when it purchased a 75% stake in Arrow McLaren. This strategic acquisition was part of McLaren’s broader ambition to expand its footprint in IndyCar racing, complementing the brand’s established presence in Formula 1. Over the years, McLaren Racing has continued to make strides in North America, focusing on growing the brand in a market that has become increasingly vital to its global ambitions. With the final buyout of Arrow McLaren, McLaren Racing is now firmly positioned as a top contender in IndyCar, having fully integrated the team into its operations.

Zak Brown, McLaren Racing’s CEO, has been vocal about the company’s vision for the future, particularly in North America, where the IndyCar series holds a passionate fanbase. Brown emphasized that this acquisition would allow McLaren to grow and solidify its presence in the region. He expressed his gratitude to both Sam Schmidt and Ric Peterson, recognizing their pivotal role in the team’s development over the years. “Sam Schmidt and Ric Peterson have been great partners and co-owners, and I want to thank them as we continue to build what they started many years ago,” said Brown. He reiterated that the focus remains on continuing to develop a championship-caliber team for the NTT IndyCar Series, which remains central to McLaren Racing’s future success in the U.S. market.

The move aligns with McLaren Racing’s broader strategy of enhancing its motorsport portfolio, particularly in light of recent successes in Formula 1. McLaren F1 has seen a resurgence in recent years, with the team enjoying its most successful season in over two decades in 2024. Drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri played pivotal roles in McLaren’s strong showing, helping the team secure the coveted Constructors’ Championship. This victory was seen as a huge milestone for McLaren, reaffirming the team’s place as one of the top-tier competitors in Formula 1. With the IndyCar team now fully under McLaren Racing’s control, there are high hopes that this success can be replicated in the U.S. open-wheel series.

Brown also highlighted the growing importance of McLaren’s American operations, especially in the context of the broader expansion of Formula 1 in the U.S. McLaren’s presence in Formula 1 has been bolstered by a greater focus on American markets, with the addition of several U.S.-based Grand Prix weekends to the calendar. One standout moment came in 2023 when Lando Norris claimed his first-ever Formula 1 victory at the Miami Grand Prix. This victory helped further establish McLaren’s footprint in the United States, a region that has increasingly become a focal point for F1’s global ambitions.

With the full acquisition of Arrow McLaren, Brown is now turning his attention to the future growth of McLaren Racing in IndyCar. His vision involves not just securing more race victories but also building a sustainable, competitive team that can consistently challenge for the championship. As McLaren Racing prepares for the 2025 season, expectations are high that the team will continue to push forward both in Formula 1 and IndyCar, with a unified strategy aimed at achieving success on both fronts.

This development signifies a new chapter for McLaren Racing as a whole. The full ownership of Arrow McLaren is set to enhance the synergies between McLaren’s various racing disciplines, ensuring that both F1 and IndyCar teams benefit from shared resources, technical expertise, and a unified approach to competition. The acquisition is just one part of Zak Brown’s broader vision for McLaren’s growth and success on the global motorsport stage.