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Ian James

Managing Director and Team Principal, McLaren Electric Racing

Ian James holds an Engineering degree from Coventry University, UK. After starting his professional career with McLaren Automotive as Manufacturing Engineer, Ian joined the Daimler group in 2005. He held management positions in Product Planning and Finance in Germany and the US, before he joined Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains in 2011 as Head of Programme Management. He contributed to the reintroduction of KERS in 2011, leading to Nico Rosberg’s win at the 2012 Chinese GP; the first win for an official Mercedes-Benz F1 team since 1955. He also played a part in the introduction of the V6/ERS Power Unit for Formula 1’s turbo-hybrid era, culminating in the 2014 and 2015 Drivers’ and Teams’ World Championships.

In 2015, Ian joined the Mercedes-Benz G-Class Team as Head of Marketing/Communications and Governmental Business. In 2019, Ian moved back into motorsports, as Team Principal of the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team and Managing Director of Mercedes-Benz Formula E Ltd. With Ian at the helm, the team won the Drivers’ and Team’s championships in both Season 7 and Season 8 of the World Championship. At the end of a successful three years as Mercedes-EQ in Formula E, the team was acquired by McLaren Racing.

Since September 2022, Ian has been Team Principal of the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team and Managing Director of NEOM McLaren Electric Racing, continuing to lead the team in Formula E and assuming responsibility for the NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team.