After a 26-year hiatus, McLaren Automotive is set to make a return to Le Mans 24 Hours, which takes place on June 12-16. This marks the first time McLaren will compete in all three ‘Triple Crown of Motorsport’ events — the Monaco Grand Prix, Indianapolis 500 and Le Mans — in the same season.
McLaren’s legacy at Le Mans began with a race debut victory in 1995 using the McLaren F1 road car. The F1 GTR, not initially designed as a race car, returned for the following three seasons and achieved success with a win in the GT1 class in 1997. This year it will enter three GT3 Evo cars.
Technical specifications
The McLaren GT3 Evo , modified to meet LMGT3 requirements, retains many design elements from the 750S.
Key features include the carbon-fiber Monocage II chassis, identical to the 750S, which offers rigidity, strength and lightweight construction. The GT3 Evo is powered by a 4-liter twin-turbo V8 engine, designed for both track and road performance. While racing regulations require restricted power for the GT3 Evo, the engine’s design ensures high endurance and reliable power delivery.
Le Mans Entry
Two McLaren GT3 Evo cars will be entered by WEC racing partner United Autosports. Car 59, driven by James Cottingham, Nicolas Costa and Grégoire Saucy, pays homage to the 1995 race-winning F1 GTR by running the same race number. Car 95 will be driven by Hiroshi Hamaguchi, Marino Sato and Nicolas Pino.
A third McLaren GT3 Evo, prepared by Inception Racing, earned its entry following Brendan Iribe’s success in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GTD class last year. Iribe, joined by Ollie Millroy and Frederik Schandorff, will make his first Le Mans 24 Hours appearance with McLaren.
“We are thrilled to be returning to Le Mans; the 24 Hours is an important part of McLaren history and the chance to compete again was a major incentive for racing in the World Endurance Championship. It is the ultimate demonstration of the performance and endurance of our cars,” said Michael Leiters, CEO of McLaren Automotive.
