Which Formula One constructor was founded by Bruce McLaren in 1963? McLaren was founded by Bruce McLaren in 1963.
The New Zealand driver established Bruce McLaren Motor Racing to compete in the Tasman Series, after disagreements with Cooper over the engine specifications available for that championship. The new team initially ran modified Cooper cars before developing its own racing machinery.
McLaren entered Formula One as a constructor at the 1966 Monaco Grand Prix with the M2B, designed by Robin Herd. Its first Grand Prix victory came at the 1968 Belgian Grand Prix, when Bruce McLaren drove the team’s car to victory at Spa-Francorchamps.
A common mix-up is confusing McLaren’s racing team with McLaren Automotive, the road-car business associated with the McLaren F1 supercar. The Formula One team predates that road-car company by decades. Bruce McLaren died in a testing accident in 1970, but the organization continued under Teddy Mayer and later became one of Formula One’s most successful constructors.