McLaren introduced New Zealander Emma Gilmour as their first feminine racer on Wednesday with the rally driver set to compete within the new electrical Excessive E off-road sequence subsequent 12 months.

The announcement in the course of the COP26 local weather change summit in Glasgow took the British-based workforce again to its origins, with late founder and first driver Bruce McLaren additionally a New Zealander.

“I preserve pinching myself. It’s so surreal. Rising up in New Zealand, Bruce McLaren is such an iconic title with New Zealand motorsport,” Gilmour advised reporters. “I by no means imagined, I by no means day-dreamed about racing for McLaren as a result of I used to be a rally driver.

“To have my ardour in motorsport, my rallying, be a ability set that is now allowed me to race for a childhood, iconic motorsport legend is only a dream come true. I really feel so, so honoured.”

McLaren are System One’s second most profitable workforce after Ferrari, making their debut in Monaco in 1966 with their founder on the wheel.

They received System One titles with Emerson Fittipaldi, James Hunt, Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Mika Hakkinen and Lewis Hamilton and have branched out into different areas of motorsport, together with IndyCar.

“McLaren continues to be considered a Kiwi workforce due to our heritage and Bruce being the founder… I nonetheless get goose-bumps occupied with it,” stated Gilmour.

Excessive E began this 12 months and groups will need to have a male and a feminine driver.

The sequence, which makes use of an identical SUVs, goals to lift consciousness about local weather change and promote sustainability by racing in distant and harsh environments already struggling injury.

System One world champions Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Jenson Button are among the many workforce house owners with McLaren the tenth outfit to enroll and debuting in 2022.

Gilmour, who has been a reserve for the Veloce workforce this season, will accomplice American rallycross and stunt driver Tanner Foust within the McLaren lineup.

“To be the primary feminine driver for McLaren Racing, I really feel that is leaving a fairly spectacular mark already,” she stated when requested about future success.