James Barclay will leave his positions as Jaguar TCS Racing team principal and JLR Motorsport managing director at the end of the current Formula E season, Jaguar Land Rover confirmed.
Barclay’s departure is set for August 1, 2025, with JLR indicating he’s leaving for “an exciting role outside our business.” The company hasn’t announced a successor or timeline for replacement.
“James has been an integral member of the JLR leadership team since he joined the company in 2013,” JLR stated. “Among many significant accomplishments, last year James sensationally led Jaguar TCS Racing to Jaguar’s first world championship win since 1991.”
Barclay joined JLR after spending 11 years at Bentley – where he was part of the 2003 Le Mans-winning team – and three years in marketing roles at Lotus. He took over Jaguar’s Formula E project as team director in 2015 before the team’s 2016-17 season debut, later becoming team principal and managing director of JLR Motorsport in 2021.
Under his leadership, Jaguar TCS Racing secured 17 race wins and over 30 podiums.
The team’s crowning achievement came when they captured the 2023-24 Formula E Teams’ Championship – Jaguar’s first global motorsport title in more than 30 years. Customer team Envision Racing also won the championship the previous season using Jaguar powertrains, further establishing the brand’s electric motorsport dominance.
Barclay also shaped JLR’s motorsport future by spearheading the upcoming Defender factory entry into the Dakar Rally and FIA World Rally-Raid Championship, scheduled to debut in 2026.
“James will continue in his current role leading the JLR Motorsport function until 01 August,” the company confirmed.
His exit follows technical director Phil Charles’ departure to DS Penske last year. Barclay’s move ends a significant chapter in Jaguar’s motorsport return, with his leadership transforming the Formula E project into a championship-winning program.
