Switch to McLaren: Team Principal James Barclay leaves Jaguar & Formula E at the end of the season

James Barclay, the long-standing Jaguar team principal, will leave the team and, in all likelihood, Formula E at the end of the season. Jaguar TCS Racing announced this in a statement on Tuesday. The London E-Prix marks the end of an era in which the South African has worked for Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) for twelve years.

UPDATE 04/17 05:00pm : According to information from e-Formula.news, Barclay is to move to a direct competitor of Jaguar: At McLaren, Barclay is to take over the management of the new WEC programme with the LMDh racing car. Here he would report to Motorsport Director Ian James, who is also McLaren Team Principal in Formula E.

Barclay has led Jaguar's Formula E programme since day one and has also been Team Principal since the third season. Following the departure of Technical Director Phil Charles around a year ago, Jaguar has now lost the second high-ranking employee of its Formula E project. Barclay is said to have informed Jaguar Land Rover earlier this month that he wanted to take on a new professional challenge in motorsport. The team and drivers were informed shortly before the Miami E-Prix, report colleagues at The Race.

"JLR can confirm that James Barclay has decided to leave his role as Managing Director JLR Motorsport and Team Principal of Jaguar TCS Racing, effective from 01 August 2025, to pursue an exciting role outside our business," the team statement said. "James has been an integral member of the JLR leadership team since he joined the company in 2013. Among many significant accomplishments during his time at JLR, last year, James sensationally led Jaguar TCS Racing to Jaguar’s first world championship win since 1991."

"More recently, James has been instrumental in establishing the programme which will see Defender enter as a factory team into the Dakar Rally and FIA World Rally Raid Championship from 2026. James will continue is his current role leading the JLR Motorsport function until 01 August", concludes the statement.

Who might succeed Barclay as Jaguar team principal is not yet known. After a weak start to the season, Jaguar TCS Racing currently only occupies eighth place in the Formula E World Championship teams' standings.