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McLaren envisions future of Formula One racing in 2050

We're seeing a lot of change in the car industry with the rise of electric vehicles, autonomous driving features and ever more connectivity, so much so that the car world will probably look pretty different 30 years from now. But what about in motorsports? Well, McLaren expects some pretty radical changes, too, and it put together an elaborate vision of what its bread and butter, Formula One, will look like in 2050. The race cars will still be open-wheel racers with elaborate active aerodynamics. The company describes flexible side pods that can retract for high speeds up to 310 mph, and can then expand for additional drag when braking and cornering. Downforce will come more from diffusers and undercarriage designs than external wings. The cars will be fully electric, and charging will come from induction coils placed in the ground with receiver coils in "self-repairing composite" wheels and tires. McLaren expects the cars to recharge 10 to 50 percent of battery capacity in 10 to 30 seconds. Traditional pit stops may give way to charging lanes or zones that provide different amounts of power depending on your speed, adding more strategy. With faster cars, McLaren suggests that track designs could be reimagined. They would include steeper banking in corners to keep speeds up, allow even tighter turns, and expand the tracks for the higher top speeds. Street circuits could even expand to encompass entire cities for more places to view the cars and more interesting courses. The driver will have some impressive technology at hand, too. To combat the high speeds and g-forces, especially on those hypothetical banked tracks, drivers will need fighter pilot-style suits with inflatable air bladders to keep from blacking out. An AI system will be on-board to help develop racing strategy, and make adjustments to the strategy and car to accommodate the driver's shifting emotions. This technology will have to be supported by drivers working on strength training, and crew mates that race the tracks virtually to develop strategies and racing lines that can be used in the race. It's a wild view of the future. And it's tempting to write some of this off as pure fantasy. But a lot can happen in 30 years. Just look at cars from now compared with those of 1989. We'll certainly be excited to see what does happen and how accurate McLaren's vision is. Related Video:

MSP Sports Capital buys minority stake in McLaren Racing

LONDON — U.S.-based investment group MSP Sports Capital is taking a significant minority stake in McLaren Racing in a deal the Formula One team said would give them the tools to return to the top of the sport. The long-term investment, announced on Sunday, is for an initial 15% holding rising to a maximum 33% by the end of 2022. McLaren said it values the British racing outfit at 560 million pounds ($740.5 million). Under the deal, MSP will put 185 million pounds into the former world champions, who last won a race in 2012 but are still historically the sport's second-most successful team, over a two-year period. Luxury sportscar maker McLaren Automotive remains wholly owned by the McLaren Group, whose majority shareholder is Bahrain's Mumtalakat holding company, and is not part of the transaction. The consortium members include The Najafi Companies, a private investment firm, and UBS O'Connor, a hedge fund subsidiary of Swiss investment banking firm UBS. MSP is headquartered in New York and the principals have a background as owners and investors in Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association (NBA) among other ventures. Jahm Najafi will become a vice-chairman of McLaren Racing, while Jeff Moorad of MSP and Rodrigo Trelles Zabala of UBS O'Connor will join the McLaren Racing board. McLaren Racing chief executive Zak Brown said the investment marked the start of "the next chapter" and would allow the team to "turbocharge" their efforts. Paul Walsh, executive chairman of the McLaren Group, told a video conference that the new cash flow would not impact the debt level of McLaren directly. "We have got a number of activities in place where we will look to refinance some of our debt next year and attendant with that there could very well be some kind of equity raise," he said. "What this (deal) does is mean that McLaren Group is not funding on a cash basis in Racing." MSP's arrival increases North American interest in a sport whose commercial rights are held by U.S.-based Liberty Media. Moorad, a former NASCAR team owner, said MSP had looked into acquiring Force India when that team, now Racing Point and owned by Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll, went into administration in 2018. They also considered former champions Williams, whose sale to U.S.-based Dorilton Capital was announced in August.

Jenson Button expected to announce F1 retirement

One of the biggest question marks looming over the Formula One paddock has been over what will become of Jenson Button. The former world champion has struggled to perform of late, and as one of the oldest drivers on the grid, is nearing the end of his career. And according to the Daily Telegraph, he's about to announce his retirement. Button has been on the grid every season since his debut with Williams in 2000. But as his current team McLaren has fallen off pace, so has Button – particularly as both struggle to work out the kinks in the new Honda engine package. And unlike Benjamin Button, he's not getting any younger. With the benefit of his own considerable experience, Button won out over his previous teammate Kevin Magnussen to keep his race seat after Fernando Alonso arrived in Woking. But while he's enjoyed Honda's support, team principal Ron Dennis has reportedly turned sour on Button's staying with the team, preferring to promote a younger driver in Button's place. Rather than leave it up to the team to decide, however – or seeking a drive with another team – word has it that Jenson is preparing to go out on his own terms, and is set to announce his retirement at the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend. Button's departure would leave two questions open: For one, what will he do next? And for another, who will McLaren hire to fill his racing shoes? For Jenson's part, he could end up combining a drive at Le Mans with a television career. He's been linked to talks with Porsche, where other experienced F1 drivers like Mark Webber and Nico Hulkenberg have found success. But sources also point towards a potential Rallycross drive, and we wouldn't be terribly surprised to see him compete in GT racing for McLaren or the Super GT series for Honda. Affable and skilled in working behind the camera, Button has also been linked with potentially joining Chris Evans on the new cast of a rebooted Top Gear. As for McLaren, it has two emerging talents in reserve. One is the aforementioned Danish driver Kevin Magnussen, who raced for the team last season but was told to wait in the wings. After winning the pivotal Formula Renault 3.5 title in 2013, Magnussen impressed with a second-place finish on his F1 race debut in Australia last year. He could, however, accept a race seat with another team for next season rather than wait (as Button had to) for McLaren to make its decision.