McLaren Formula E opportunity "no brainer" with Mercedes purchase - Brown

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has described the opportunity to take over Mercedes' Formula E championship-winning project as a "no brainer".

The Woking-based outfit has acquired Mercedes' Formula E team and will officially enter the electric single-seater championship at the start of the 'Gen 3' era of the sport in the 2022-23 season.

The expansion to Formula E has been long-mooted given the team's move to IndyCar and Extreme E in recent years as the financial situation of the Formula 1 team stabilises.

Mercedes won last year's Formula E title with Nyck de Vries clinching the drivers' crown and after six rounds of the current campaign, the team again leads both championships, this time with former McLaren driver Stoffel Vandoorne out ahead.

After years of speculation, McLaren has taken the leap into a new field but asked what made that prospect so attractive at this stage, Brown replied: "I think outside the obvious excitement that surrounds Formula E as a racing platform and a marketing platform for our partners and fans, from a technical point of view, the opportunity to acquire the world championship team that won the last race we were at in Monaco.

"To have Ian to continue to lead the team, so as far as all of our racing properties are led by individuals that have the resources they need with everyone focused on their teams - Taylor [Kiel] is running the IndyCar team, Andreas running the Formula 1 team, Ian will run the Formula 1 team.

"To acquire a going concern, so for the most part what Ian needs to do is change shirts next year and he has his team in place, that was very appealing to us.

"So it was a combination of the stability we have in Formula 1 while there is still a long way to go on our journey to get back to the front, I think Andreas has all the resources he needs.

"So to be able to acquire a world championship team in a turnkey fashion really made it a no brainer."

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