On the anniversary of its most famous sportscar success, McLaren Racing has confirmed both the official name under which it will compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s headlining Hypercar category in 2027, as well as the identity of the programme’s Team Principal.
Thirty years on from its outstanding victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans on its debut in the legendary race with an F1 GTR crewed JJ Lehto, Yannick Dalmas and Masanori Sekiya, McLaren has used the occasion of the 93rd edition of the twice-round-the-clock contest this weekend to officially launch its new Hypercar outfit. McLaren United AS – running under the wider McLaren Endurance Racing umbrella – will duly join the fray in FIA WEC’s top-tier in just under two years’ time.
McLaren Racing remains the only team to have won motorsport’s prestigious Triple Crown – the Monaco Grand Prix, Indianapolis 500 and Le Mans. The British marque will be aiming to do so again when it returns to endurance racing’s premier class.
Having announced its forthcoming FIA WEC entry earlier this year, McLaren has today confirmed that its Hypercar will use a V6 twin-turbo engine designed by McLaren Racing and McLaren Automotive, and produced and engineered alongside Dallara.
The project will be run in collaboration with existing McLaren LMGT3 partner United Autosports, while James Barclay will come on-board as Team Principal in September. The Briton has most recently held the joint role of Managing Director of JLR Motorsport and Team Principal of Jaguar TCS Racing in the FIA Formula E World Championship.
Barclay brings with him a wealth of experience, having been instrumental in setting up the Jaguar Formula E programme in 2016 and subsequently leading the team to 18 victories during his tenure, including the marque’s first world championship title since 1991 last year.
McLaren Racing will offer fans attending Le Mans a first look at its 2027 challenger during an exclusive reveal in the Manufacturers’ Village from 10:00 CET tomorrow (Saturday, 14 June) with CEO Zak Brown.
Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, said:
“McLaren Racing’s return to the FIA World Endurance Championship marks the beginning of a new and exciting chapter for us, and James’ leadership will be crucial in guiding us through the coming months as we prepare for our 2027 entry.
“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.”
James Barclay, Team Principal, McLaren Endurance Racing, said:
“I’m 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 for which McLaren is known.”
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