Tanner Foust and Emma Gilmour are to leave the NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team following the end of the 2023 season.
Competing together since the team’s inception and inaugural race in 2022, Foust and Gilmour managed to pick up two second-place finishes during their time with NEOM McLaren XE, achieving their best championship results in Extreme E Season 2 with fifth in the standings.
A maiden podium came at the Season 2 finale in Uruguay, and the duo went on to snatch a podium on home-soil for the team at the Hydro X Prix earlier this year. Last time out in Chile they finished fourth and fifth across the double-header weekend, with Hedda Hosås deputising for Gilmour following her accident at the Island X Prix in September.
The NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team will be revealing its 2024 driver line-up in due course, as the British outfit looks to climb the leaderboard in Season 4 and secure its first X Prix victory.
Emma Gilmour said: “As a Kiwi, it has been unbelievably special to have driven for the NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team for the past two years, and to make history as McLaren Racing’s first ever female driver. It was amazing to race in some of the most extreme locations in the world, including Saudi Arabia, Chile and Uruguay, and to come through to secure those hard-fought podiums. I’m grateful for the team’s incredible support and for the unforgettable highlights we enjoyed together. I wish everyone at McLaren Racing all the best.”
Tanner Foust said: “It has been an honour to drive for a team with such a great motorsport lineage as NEOM McLaren. It has been a privilege to compete for the NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team for the last two years, in addition to other opportunities with the Heritage programme. I have had the opportunity to drive cars that I never thought I’d drive in my life, and the podiums in Uruguay and Scotland were a big highlight. I wish everyone at the team all the best, and I would like to thank them for the incredible support they’ve provided for me during the past two years.”
Ian James, Managing Director, NEOM McLaren Electric Racing, said: “It’s been an absolute pleasure working together with both Emma and Tanner. They are not only incredibly talented racing drivers, but also great personalities that made every race weekend a pleasure to attend. Since McLaren Racing joined the Extreme E Championship two years ago, it’s been a steep learning curve and challenging journey for the NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team. Both drivers have been a key part of the development process and they have grown together with the team. Although the results haven’t always reflected just how far we’ve come, both Emma and Tanner have made a significant contribution to the team’s future success. I feel fortunate to have had both as part of the team and can’t wait to see what the future holds for them.”
Gary Paffett, Sporting Director, NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team said: “On behalf of the NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team, I’d like to thank Emma and Tanner for all their incredible work over the past two years. With their help, we’ve established a strong foundation in the Extreme E Championship, and secured two P2 finishes along the way, in Uruguay and Scotland. It’s no secret that we’ve faced some challenges during our time in the championship so far, but their support has been invaluable and we are all incredibly grateful. We wish them all the best for the future.”
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