McLaren Esports Director On Education, Lando Norris, And Their Shadow Academy
Lindsey Eckhouse, Director of Licensing, Ecommerce & Esports at McLaren Racing, discusses esports education, Lando Norris, and the McLaren Shadow Academy.

Jack Marsh
01st Feb 2022 22:04
McLaren

When Bruce McLaren fired up the engine to his clean mauve four-wheeled Austin 7 back in 1954, even the most ambitious of philanthropists wouldn't have guessed that 68 years down the line the organisation would be one of the most illustrious Formula 1 teams ever. Not only that, but be four years deep into an internet-powered series, where all of the thrill and action of the F1 season can be enjoyed from the comfort of a Woking-based James Bond-esque lair.
But as the rattling Flintstone's-styled one-seater crossed the line in first place, Bruce was building something special and his legacy has now crossed borders with esports, as the McLaren Shadow initiative aims to revolutionise eF1, whilst putting their full-time team through an education.
"It's important for us to compete in the F1 game, we 'shadow' the experience of our real-life formula 1 team. But, as much as it's all about staying at the front of the grid, it really serves as an authentic foundation for us to pivot into casual gaming and become a lifestyle brand," said Lindsey Eckhouse, Director of Licensing, Ecommerce, and Esports at McLaren Racing, at an educational round-table day at the futuristic lakeside complex.
As we discussed the impact of the McLaren Shadow initiative, the setting sun shining off the lake ripples and reflecting onto the fire-kissed carbon fibre chassis of Daniel Riccardo's Monte Carlo 2019-winning car that sat proudly in front of a huge line of their most famous sets of wheels. Followed by Hamilton's 2008 record-breaking world-championship winning motor, three of their exclusive supercars, and countless other famous racing weapons, McLaren's competence is echoed in their sim-racing complex.
But Formula 1 is about much more than flashy spoilers, and McLaren is hoping that their Shadow initiative can help shape the lives of aspiring esports players by using their brand to propel their careers.
"We're building a platform that allows them to create fame for themselves, as well as the McLaren Shadow brand. But also, we have somebody like Lando Norris who is this passionate gamer and phenomenal ambassador, we're able to pair Lando with some of our Shadow team members, to really play against each other, have fun in the studio, and live stream this to create more opportunities to bring them more followers - or perfect their skills because he's good too."
"For us, it was important that we had an academy programme so that we could get as many people as possible into the experience and really try to identify talent that we found within our 'feeder system'."
McLaren also partnered with Dell to complete studies on the impact of education within esports, which found that half of parents want esports to be taught in schools. Eckhouse continued to discuss McLaren's role in pioneering the future of esports through their own players and the wider community.
"The work we've done with Dell is a good example of how we are focused on how esports can be seen by educators. I think it's a really important thing for us to continue to talk about, in terms of esports being this amazing pathway for STEM initiatives and different types of career paths."
"We don't create the curriculums, but we do work with the partners who do that. So, it comes back to a grassroots awareness of the positives that can come out of esports and gaming from a career and an educational perspective."
McLaren's future is set to expand from just Formula 1 esports, as they target mainstream gaming in titles such as Rocket League, where they now intend to create an educational platform for a new range of aspiring individuals.

About The Author
Jack Marsh
Jack is an Esports Journalist at GGRecon. Graduating from the University of Chester, with a BA Honours degree in Journalism, Jack is an avid esports enthusiast and specialises in Rocket League, Call of Duty, VALORANT, and trending gaming news.