The 19-year-old from King’s Lynn, England, joins the team following three seasons with Mercedes Esports Team, where he partnered Daniel Bereznay and István Puki to a third-place finish in the 2025 Teams' Championship standings.

Jake is an experienced sim racer with multiple strong performances under his belt, having secured two podiums and a further three top-five finishes in his six drives for Mercedes during the 2025 F1 Sim Racing World Championship. 

The two-time World Online Racing Series Champion joins the McLaren Shadow F1 Sim Racing Team line-up, which is formed of proven race winner Alfie Butcher and two-time Premier Sim Gaming League winner Wilson Hughes. 

Jake Benham, F1 Sim Racing Driver, McLaren Shadow F1 Sim Racing Team, said: 

“I’m delighted to have joined the McLaren Shadow F1 Sim Racing Team, it’s an honour to be getting the opportunity to work with such a prestigious team and I’m looking forward to getting started at MTC.  

“The environment and atmosphere within the Shadow team is brilliant and will provide the perfect platform for me to continue to develop and achieve success. I already have a strong relationship with Joel, Alfie, Wilson and the rest of the team and I’m excited for what’s to come as we work together to put ourselves in position to challenge at the front of the grid.” 

Joel Chapman, Team Manager, McLaren Shadow F1 Sim Racing Team, said: 

“We’re delighted to welcome Jake Benham to the McLaren Shadow F1 Sim Racing Team. He joins us having spent three seasons with Mercedes Esports Team, and within that time has been on a brilliant upward trajectory, securing two podiums across six starts in his most recent season. 

“Jake is a young talent who already has a wealth of experience under his belt. His natural ability, hardworking attitude and drive to succeed makes him a hugely exciting addition to the team, and I can’t wait to see him working alongside Alfie, Wilson, our engineers and development drivers.”