Former F1 Esports champion Lucas Blakeley leaves McLaren Shadow team

Kieran Lynch, Senior Editor

Last Updated: 27/05/2025

McLaren Racing has announced that Lucas Blakeley will depart McLaren Shadow after three seasons with the F1 sim racing team.

The Scottish sim racer and boyhood McLaren supporter has been with the team since 2022.

McLaren in a statement confirmed that Blakeley would leave the team.

They wrote: “McLaren Racing today announced Lucas Blakeley’s departure from the McLaren Shadow F1 Sim Racing Team.

“Lucas joined the McLaren Shadow F1 Sim Racing Team in 2022 and secured a Drivers’ and Teams’ Championship double in his first season. Other racing highlights during his time with the team include a podium finish at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps during the 2023 season.

“The team would like to thank Lucas for his contribution over the last three seasons and wish him the best of luck for the future.

“We will confirm the McLaren Shadow F1 Sim Racing driver line-up in due course.”

They also confirmed the news on X alongside a video showing Blakeley’s best moments with the team.

Undoubtedly, the highlight of his time with McLaren Shadow was winning the F1 Esports Series Drivers’ Championship.

After winning four races, he needed just five points in the final race, and would ultimately finish P4 – winning the title by eight points to Frederik Rasmussen.

Blakeley also helped the team win the constructors’ title that season, alongside former teammate Bari Boroumand.

He finished seventh in the 2023-24 championship and 15th in 2025.

Reaction to Lucas Blakeley leaving McLaren F1 sim racing team

Lucas Blakeley was congratulated for his time at McLaren, by followers responding to his post confirming the news on X.

In a message on X, Blakeley wrote: “Today I announce that I’m leaving @McLarenShadow. An honour of a lifetime to represent this team, to become world champion for who I grew up supporting is something I’ll forever be grateful I got the chance to accomplish. I’ll always be a papaya fan.”

In a YouTube video, he thanked the McLaren Shadow team, engineers, and fans.

Blakeley has not yet confirmed what his future in sim racing holds. Followers on X congratulated him on his time with McLaren Shadow.

@Tsjawesome wrote: “Thank you for your time here. It’s been a pleasure supporting you and having you on the team over the last 3 years. You will be deeply missed. We will never forget this moment and the joy you gave us. Good luck for the future!”

@KibianYT added: “Hope we can keep watch you race man, you deserve it and you are a unique talent on the grid. Good luck Lucas.”

What is the F1 Sim Racing World Championship?

The F1 Esports Series, is a professional esports championship organised by Formula One, where sim racers compete using the official F1 video game.

Each of the ten teams on the F1 grid has its own esports team, including McLaren Shadow, Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.

They drive on circuits used in the F1 calendar including Monaco and Silverstone, using advanced racing simulators.

The series crowns drivers’ and constructors’ champions, with races broadcast live on Twitch and YouTube.

In 2025, Jarno Opmeer clinched his third drivers’ title, with Red Bull clinching the constructors’ title.

Dutch sim racer Opmeer has competed in real motorsport categories and was a protege of the Renault, now known as Alpine Formula One team.

Kieran Lynch, Senior Editor

Kieran Lynch is an esports journalist who writes about several games including EA Sports FC 25, Call of Duty, Rainbox Six Siege, and more. He previously worked as a sports journalist for MailOnline.

All Posts By Kieran Lynch