McLaren's Formula E programme had its origins in a December 2020 announcement by CEO Zak Brown expressing interest in joining the championship once existing battery supplier obligations expired. In January 2021, McLaren signed an option to enter for the 2022 season.
In May 2022, McLaren confirmed the acquisition of the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team, which had competed as Mercedes' factory entry. McLaren rebranded the operation as the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team for the 2022–23 season, sourcing its powertrain from Nissan. René Rast, returning to Formula E after his final season with Audi Sport in 2020–21, and Jake Hughes were announced as the team's inaugural drivers.
McLaren made its Formula E race debut at the 2023 Mexico City ePrix. Hughes qualified in third and finished fifth, while Rast retired following a collision with Oliver Rowland of Mahindra. At the Diriyah ePrix, Hughes secured McLaren's maiden Formula E pole position and Rast finished third in the second race, delivering the team's first Formula E podium. McLaren finished eighth in the Teams' Championship in their debut campaign.
Rast departed after the inaugural season and was replaced by Sam Bird. Hughes was retained. Bird delivered McLaren's first outright race victory at the São Paulo ePrix. Bird suffered a hand injury during free practice at the Monaco ePrix and was replaced by development driver Taylor Barnard, who became the youngest driver and first teenager to start a Formula E race at 19 years and 331 days. Barnard deputised again at Berlin, where he finished Race 1 in tenth to become the youngest points scorer in Formula E history. Hughes later left McLaren mid-season to join Maserati MSG Racing and Barnard was promoted to full-time race duty.
Barnard entered his first full season alongside Bird in 2024–25. At the opening São Paulo ePrix, Barnard finished third to claim his maiden podium and became the youngest podium finisher in Formula E at 20 years and 189 days. He added a further podium at Jeddah Race 1 and claimed his first pole position at Jeddah Race 2 before finishing second. Bird also secured a fourth place at São Paulo.
In April 2025, McLaren announced it would exit Formula E at the end of the season to redirect development resources toward a future FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar programme. After McLaren was unable to find a buyer for the team entry, the entry was returned to Formula E. McLaren's final Formula E race, Race 2 of the London ePrix, ended in a double DNF. The team finished sixth in the Teams' Championship in its final season. Barnard ended the season fourth in the Drivers' Championship, the best result achieved by any McLaren driver during their Formula E tenure.
In three seasons, NEOM McLaren Formula E Team won one race, secured multiple pole positions, developed a championship-level driver in Taylor Barnard, and established McLaren as a credible Force in the GEN3 era before the parent company chose to prioritise other programmes. The team's exit was confirmed alongside McLaren's withdrawal from Extreme E, marking the end of the company's involvement in electric-series motorsport.