19 March 2026 14:30 (UTC)
"I’m really excited for the upcoming F1 Sim Racing season, especially as we start the new season in front of a live audience"
McLaren Racing announced their F1 Sim Racing Team’s new look and line-up for the upcoming 2026 F1 Sim Racing World Championship.
Drivers Wilson Hughes and Alfie Butcher will race alongside two-time World Online Racing Series Champion Jake Benham, who joined the McLaren Racing family during the 2025 off-season. The team will compete in the 2026 F1 Sim Racing World Championship under the new name of the McLaren F1 Sim Racing Team after previous seasons as McLaren Shadow.
Jake, Alfie, and Wilson will be competing with the Championship-winning MCL39, with the team’s virtual livery design built on the iconic McLaren papaya and anthracite that guided the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team to success in the 2025 Constructors' and Drivers’ Championships.
The McLaren F1 Sim Racing Team will also be sporting a brand-new PUMA designed kit for the upcoming season, aligning with the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team and Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team.
The 2026 F1 Sim Racing World Championship consists of four events held in the United Kingdom. The season kicks off at ESL Dreamhack in Birmingham on Friday, 27 March 2026 before the F1 Technology Centre in Biggin Hill hosts the remaining three events.
“I’m really excited for the upcoming F1 Sim Racing season, especially as we start the new season at ESL Dreamhack in front of a live audience. It’s great to have Jake join us this season. We’ve been pushing really hard behind the scenes to make sure there’s no stone left unturned, to show up fully prepared and leave nothing behind.”
“I’m looking forward to the first event of the season to get underway at ESL Dreamhack in Birmingham. It should be exciting for us and for the spectators who will be there. It’s been a real team effort, and we’re all looking forward to starting the season well. I can’t wait to race in front of fans next week with Wilson and Jake.”
“Looking for a good start to the season with McLaren F1 Sim Racing. A new team and new teammates. I’ve been enjoying working with Wilson and Alfie since I joined, as well as the rest of the team. We’ve been hard at work in the sim, covering all the circuits we’ll be driving this season. Hopefully we can start on a high and continue with consistency, and challenge for the championship.”
“We're delighted to be back on track, especially with the first event returning us to racing in front of fans in a live setting. This year we’ll also be competing under our new name, McLaren F1 Sim Racing.
“Our drivers, engineers, and development drivers have had a focused and productive pre-season. I am really proud of the way Jake has integrated with the team since joining. He's hit the ground running and has joined two fantastic drivers: Alfie Butcher, a race winner for us last year, and Wilson Hughes, an experienced name in sim racing.
“We're very lucky to have such a strong driver line-up, and we'll be giving it our all from the first event next week.”
