A beginner's guide to watching F1, INDYCAR and FE

Read time: 12.4 minutes

Each series is united by four wheels and McLaren’s presence, but what are some of the similarities, differences, and USPs of Formula 1, Formula E, and INDYCAR?

This weekend, McLaren fans can take in the action across three series, with our Formula 1 team contesting the Bahrain Grand Prix, our IndyCar squad tackling the streets of Long Beach, and our Formula E outfit taking on the Miami E-Prix.

While some of you will already be well versed in all three series, for many of you, this could be your first experience. So, if you want to watch us in each series, but aren’t entirely sure how they work, we’ve got you covered with a whistle-stop guide to all three.

What are the different series you’re talking about?

Formula 1: Grand Prix competition can trace its roots to the birth of the motor car in the late 19th century, with events beginning across the early stages of the 20th century. But the Formula 1 World Championship came to life in 1950, and Bruce McLaren first entered his team into the 1966 Monaco Grand Prix, making McLaren the second-oldest team still competing in F1.

INDYCAR: The pinnacle of North American open-wheel competition, INDYCAR has been around in various formats and guises since the early 20th century, with the inaugural Indianapolis 500 – the showpiece race of the series – first taking place in 1911. McLaren twice won the Indy 500 in the 1970s and, after a couple of one-off outings in the late 2010s, entered the NTT INDYCAR SERIES full-time from 2020.

Formula E: As technology continued to advance, the all-electric ABB FIA Formula E World Championship burst into life in 2014, swiftly establishing itself among the leading motorsport series. NEOM McLaren joined the fray ahead of Season 9 in 2022.