Former Force India man Bob Fernley has been appointed as President of McLaren’s IndyCar project for 2019.
Bob Fernley, who left Force India after the team were taken over during the summer by the Racing Point consortium, has been signed by McLaren to lead their 2019 Indy 500 program.
McLaren are entering the prestigious race again in 2019, with Fernando Alonso at the wheel of the car. Fernley, who spent a decade with Force India and was effectively leading the team in his role as Deputy Team Principal behind Vijay Mallya until the team’s sale, will take up the role as McLaren’s President and report to Zak Brown, CEO of the team.
According to the team’s statement, Fernley will “build and lead a technical team entirely focused on the 2019 Indy 500, while helping to evaluate the feasibility of a longer-term McLaren involvement in IndyCar.”
“Heading back to The Brickyard will be a very special experience for me and I am proud to be leading this McLaren project and team.” said Fernley as he returns to motorsport after his few months off. “The 500 is a hell of a challenge and we have incredibly strong competitors to overcome if we’re to be successful. We will need to prepare well for the month of May and that work starts now.”
“Bob is a fantastic operator and someone I respect greatly.” said Zak Brown. “His experience and leadership will be essential for us on this project. He is particularly talented at putting effective teams together and extracting maximum performance with finite resources. The Indy 500 is no easy race and Bob’s is a key role, so I’m delighted he’s on board.”
