McLaren is racing in the LMGT3 category at this weekend’s Le Mans 24 Hours for the second year in a row, but hasn’t competed for overall victory since the era of the McLaren F1 GTR, which won the race 30 years ago. Earlier Indy 500 victories in the hands of Mark Donohue and Johnny Rutherford, as well as nine Monaco Grand Prix wins (to that date) completed the triple crown.
Its new challenger will go on display in the manufacturers’ village at Le Mans during this weekend’s race, although development will continue ahead of its debut World Endurance Championship season in 2027.
The team confirmed that it would be building its car to LMDh regulations, meaning that certain key components will be bought off the shelf to a set specification. Key amongst those is the chassis, being supplied by Dallara. Power will be supplied by a V6 twin-turbo.
“I think that’s what’s best for performance,” said Brown. “The car we’ll unveil tomorrow. Our motor group and our racing team have worked together on the design of the of the race car, which looks quite stunning.”
The programme will be split between United Autosport’s Wakefield base in West Yorkshire and McLaren’s Woking HQ where the racing team is collaborating with the automotive division. The latter was was recently sold to Abu Dhabi investment fund CYVN.
Brown said that Barclay would have “total responsibility” for the performance of the project in the same way that Andrea Stella does in F1.
“McLaren Racing’s return to the FIA World Endurance Championship marks the beginning of a new and exciting chapter for us, and James’s leadership will be crucial in guiding us through the coming months as we prepare for our 2027 entry,” he said.
James Barclay
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“We have a rich history in the sport, and with James at the helm, we are confident that McLaren Endurance Racing will quickly establish itself as a competitive and successful team.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the team’s future take shape under his leadership and can’t wait to give fans an exclusive preview of our 2027 race car.”
Barclay added: “I am honoured to be joining a brand with such an incredible history of racing excellence. The passion and commitment to success that McLaren Racing embodies is something I’ve always admired.
“I look forward to the challenge of building a team that competes at the highest level of racing and represents the pioneering spirit that McLaren is known for.”