Paffett named racing director for Cupra Kiro

Gary Paffett has joined Cupra Kiro as its new racing director following NEOM McLaren's departure from Formula E.

Paffett will report directly to Kiro chief operating officer Russell O'Hagan (pictured at right, above, with Paffett) in his new role, and the team says his signing will be the first of "a series of planned additions" to the outfit's leadership team as it looks to build upon its success in its maiden Formula E campaign.

Kiro fielded Dan Ticktum and David Beckmann last season, with the former taking the team's first podium finish in the second race of the Tokyo E-Prix. He added his – and the team's – first race victory at the Jakarta E-Prix and a maiden pole at the season finale in London.

“Bringing Gary on board is an exciting and important step for Cupra Kiro as we continue to grow and mature as an organization,” said O’Hagan. “For our first season, we set ambitious targets around building a high-performance culture while laying the groundwork to become a consistent force in Formula E.

“Gary’s skill set is unique and second to none. He’s won at the highest level, both as a driver and as an operator, and knows exactly what it takes to deliver world championship titles in this series. We’re thrilled to welcome him to the team and I’m confident that, with his expertise, we’ll be even stronger as we head into the 2025/26 season, looking to take the next step in our journey.”

Paffett retired from driving at the end of 2019 following an over-25 year career that included two DTM titles with Mercedes, a lengthy spell as a Formula 1 test driver for McLaren, and a sole season in Formula E with HWA Racelab.

When HWA became the Mercedes EQ team for 2019-20, Paffett assumed the role of technical advisor and later sporting director, and when McLaren took over the team he became its sporting director, working across Formula E and Extreme E.

“I’m incredibly excited to be joining Cupra Kiro at such a pivotal point in their story,” said Paffett. “When the team approached me about the opportunity, it was immediately clear that they’re building something ambitious and future focused.

“Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to experience success, and I know just how competitive, dynamic, and demanding this championship is. That’s why it’s so important to have the right culture, processes, and attention to detail in place from the ground up.

“I’m looking forward to working closely with Russell, Alex, the drivers and the whole team to help shape the next phase of Cupra Kiro’s development and ensure that we’re in the best possible position to continue challenging at the front.”

U.S.-flagged Cupra Kiro – which took on significant investment ahead of last season from a group that included Golden Globe-winning and BAFTA and Emmy-nominated actor Idris Elba – will once again be a Porsche customer in 2025-26 with Ticktum remaining as one of its drivers. Beckmann, however, isn’t expected to continue, with former McLaren and current Maserati MSG Racing driver Jake Hughes understood to be a frontrunner to replace him.

Among the other big names left from McLaren’s Formula E exit, team principal Ian James is set to take over at Jaguar with James Barclay moving to McLaren’s upcoming Hypercar project, while standout rookie driver is expected to sign with Jay Penske’s DS Penske operation.