McLaren receives clear Formula E CEO message after shock exit

Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds has insisted that the "door will remain open" should McLaren want to return to the all-electric championship in the future. 

It was announced by McLaren last Friday that it will leave FE at the conclusion of the current season, with team principal Ian James already in discussion with potential investors. 

The team itself is set to continue in Season 12, with McLaren to depart as a brand. McLaren's time in FE was short-lived, having only joined in 2023. 

McLaren replaced Mercedes EQ who quit at the end of the Gen2 era, resulting in McLaren taking over the Bicester-based outfit for Gen3. 

For FE, McLaren represents the latest major globally-recognised company to leave, although Dodds understands the decision.

He has stressed that the championship's relationship with McLaren remains intact, and that a return would always be welcomed.

"There's no healing involved, right? But brands come and go, brands make choices in the moment," Dodds told select media, including RacingNews365. 

"I used to work for Virgin, used to lead a massive part of Virgin Media O2, and within that we made sponsorship choices, we made marketing partnership choices, and they change depending on what we were trying to achieve. 

"When I was there, we were the main shirt sponsor of Southampton Football Club, and then we came off of that when our ambitions changed and we were trying to deliver different things.

"McLaren are absolutely entitled to make their choices based on what their objectives are and ambitions are. We are an inclusive championship, not an exclusive one. Our door will remain open anytime they want to come and talk to us.

"Zak [Brown] and I have each other's numbers, and we will continue to talk and play golf and have beers. There's no damage done in any relationship. 

"We're grateful for the years they've been part of the championship, and they bought a lot of enjoyment and they bought a lot of energy to the championship. Absolutely no hard feelings. Life is way too short for that."