McLaren Applied has announced current Head of Motorsport Accounts, Richard Saxby, as its new Motorsport Director. A motorsport veteran with over 20 years’ experience in Formula One, the move will see Saxby expand on the significant contribution he has made to the company since his arrival in 2021.
Having started his career as a Graduate Research and Development Engineer at Stewart Grand Prix, Saxby has gone on to work with some of the sport’s most illustrious names, including Renault F1, Red Bull Racing, and Mercedes AMG. Employed across electronics, systems and testing and development applications, his efforts have spanned both trackside and factory-based positions, and contributed to a remarkable ten constructors’ championships.
“I’m very happy that McLaren Applied has placed its confidence in me to lead such a talented team,” said Saxby. “The brand’s involvement at the cutting edge of motorsport is even lengthier than my own, and I look forward to continuing its mission to create a competitive advantage for partners through continuous technological innovation and consultancy.”
Since his arrival at McLaren Applied in 2021, Saxby has doubled down on the company’s customer-based focus and recently assisted in winning the contract to provide the Standard ECU (SECU) to Formula 1 until at least 2030, in addition to existing agreements with NASCAR and IndyCar.
McLaren Applied has provided the SECU – a fundamental part of the Formula 1 electronic ecosystem – for every car on the grid since 2008. The new partnership will extend the partnership into its 22nd year, demonstrating the sustained levels of innovation and excellence delivered by the Woking-based company.
Announcing the appointment, Nick Fry, Chairman of McLaren Applied, said: “I am delighted to announce Richard as our new Motorsport Director. Since joining us in 2021, Richard has significantly improved our focus on meeting customer needs and has driven many business enhancement initiatives. He also made a valuable contribution to our successful SECU bid earlier this year.
Now at the helm of the Motorsport Business Unit, Richard will continue our mission to become Motorsport’s preferred partner for electronic systems, software and support.”
Saxby replaces Matthias Dank, who has returned to his native Austria to take up a new industry role. Everyone at McLaren Applied would like to thank Matthias for his contribution to the company and wish him well in his next endeavour.
