Editing News/Lucas Blakeley Leaves McLaren

{{News
|seo_title=Lucas Blakeley Leaves McLaren
|seo_keywords=McLaren
|image=Formula-1-mclaren-launch-2022--2.jpg
|tags=McLaren
|date=2025-05-28T11:28:41.000Z
|sources={{NewsSource
|source=Esports News UK
|url=https://esports-news.co.uk/2025/05/27/mclaren-shadow-departure-f1-esports-lucas-blakeley/
|article=News/Lucas Blakeley Leaves McLaren
}}
|author=Andura
|category=Business
|content=McLaren Racing has officially announced the departure of Lucas Blakeley from its McLaren Shadow F1 Sim Racing Team, bringing an end to a successful three-year stint with the organization.

Blakeley, a Scottish sim racing star and lifelong McLaren fan, joined the team in 2022. He made an immediate impact in his debut season, securing both the Drivers’ and Teams’ Championships in the F1 Esports Series. His title-winning campaign included four race victories and a crucial fourth-place finish in the season finale, which earned him the championship by an eight-point margin over Frederik Rasmussen.

The team confirmed Blakeley's exit in a statement, expressing gratitude for his contributions and acknowledging his success, including a memorable podium finish at Spa-Francorchamps during the 2023 campaign.

'''More:'''[[News/McLaren Racing X TUMI Partnership Extended|McLaren Racing X TUMI Partnership Extended]]

“Lucas joined the McLaren Shadow F1 Sim Racing Team in 2022 and secured a Drivers’ and Teams’ Championship double in his first season,” the statement read. “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.”

McLaren shared the news on social media platform X, posting a tribute video highlighting some of Blakeley’s standout moments in orange. While his results dipped slightly in subsequent seasons—finishing seventh in 2023-24 and 15th in 2025—his legacy within the team remains significant.

In his own post on X, Blakeley reflected on his time with McLaren: “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.”

Blakeley also published a farewell video on YouTube, thanking McLaren’s engineers, support staff, and fans for their backing throughout his journey.
}}