On April 10, McLaren officially confirmed its entry into the Hypercar category in 2027. This will mark McLaren’s return to the top class of endurance racing, 32 years after its sole triumph at the Le Mans 24 Hours with the legendary F1 GTR in 1995.
The programme’s scope, the car’s technical choices, the team structure, and the race operation, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown gave us insight into all these aspects and why he believes he has what it takes to fulfil his ambitions.
Currently dominant in Formula 1 and the second strongest force in IndyCar this season, McLaren’s ambitions span the full spectrum of top-level motorsport.
Why 2027?
McLaren’s endurance racing ambitions are not new. As far back as 2017, a DPi programme - the former name for IMSA’s top class - had been considered. But Brown, while never dismissing the idea of a return to endurance racing, resisted committing too early.
“We’ve been talking about it for quite some time,” he admitted. “The new regulations have been extremely well received, and the car count proves that.
“Like in Formula 1, they’ve brought the right cost containment to the sport. What WEC and IMSA have created is absolutely world-class. It’s too good an opportunity for us not to jump in and take on these worthy competitors.
“At the same time, we’ve always wanted to make sure nothing distracts from our F1 efforts. The strength of our F1 and IndyCar teams is definitely another factor. And then, McLaren Automotive - now acquired by Abu Dhabi’s CYVN Holdings - has never been in a stronger position than it is today. To be able to go racing together is quite exciting. Put all that together, and clearly the timing is right.”
McLaren’s first F1 title in 25 years also played a part, as did the decision to withdraw from Formula E after the exit of its title sponsor there, one move enabling the other.
“F1, WEC and IndyCar are the three most important championships in the world that align with McLaren’s history and brand values,” Brown explained.
“We’ve withdrawn from Formula E which, at the end of the day, just didn’t fit in that racing portfolio. WEC offers a closer link to our automotive business.”
Why only WEC, not IMSA too?
Brown’s answer begins with two words: “Le Mans”. In endurance racing, that race towers above all others. But there’s another factor.
“The Triple Crown,” he said. “As McLaren, we are the only team ever to have won the Triple Crown [which he considers to be the Monaco Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500, and the Le Mans 24 Hours]. Hopefully we can do it again, maybe even get a bit greedy and not just win the three big races, but win the three championships! Doesn’t have to be in the same year, but wouldn’t that be sweet?”
For now, there is no IMSA commitment. While it’s not ruled out, it will not happen before 2028.
“Right now, we’re focused on WEC,” he insisted. “You wouldn’t want to go into two championships at the same time. We’ve yet to win the Indy 500 or the IndyCar championship. Once again, we want to make sure nothing disrupts our F1, IndyCar or WEC teams.
“We’re moving to a new race shop in Indy, so it’s something we’ll consider. IMSA is something we’ll eventually look at, but one step at a time.”
Dallara: The logical choice
Built to LMDh regulations, McLaren’s Hypercar will use one of the four approved chassis suppliers. McLaren chose Dallara - the same base as the Cadillac V-Series.R (pictured above) and BMW M Hybrid V8 - with the idea of working with a trusted partner.
“We’ve got a great working relationship with Dallara,” Brown explained. “We work with them in IndyCar, so we felt they were the best chassis manufacturer for us.
“The engine will be a twin-turbo V6. In terms of weight and fuel efficiency, we believe that’s the best solution for performance. We’ve designed it in collaboration with Autotecnica Motori, and they will supply the engines.”
In a surprise move, McLaren has already shown what the car will look like. Hours before the start of the 93rd Le Mans 24 Hours last June, it unveiled a full-scale model, catching the paddock off-guard.
Building the right team
James Barclay has been named team principal of McLaren United AS, after a successful stint leading Jaguar’s Formula E squad.
“James will have total responsibility for the performance of our WEC programme, just as Andrea Stella does in F1 and Tony Kanaan in IndyCar,” said Brown.
“His mission: bring in the right people and give them the resources, tools, and support they need to succeed. He’s hungry and ready for a new challenge.”
Race operations will be run in partnership with United Autosports - founded in 2010 by Richard Dean and Brown - a proven endurance outfit with two Le Mans LMP2 wins, a Daytona 24 Hours victory, and multiple World Endurance Championship and European Le Mans Series
“When we started United, we didn’t particularly plan to be here, but we’ve always aimed to win in everything we’ve done,” Dean said.
“This is another step, and I firmly believe we deserve the chance. It feels natural for us. We know what needs to be done.”
With Balance of Performance levelling outright pace, Hypercar is more about vehicle dynamics and energy management than pure speed. Teams and drivers are paramount, and McLaren appears well covered with United’s expertise.
The driver question
No contracts have been signed yet, but there is a shortlist and discussions are in progress.
“It’s too early in that phase of development,” Brown said. “The phone’s already going mad with lots of racing drivers who’d love to race for McLaren, which is very flattering. And of course, we’ll do everything we can - as we do in all our racing series - to put together the best driver line-ups possible.”
McLaren United AS is courting some of the sharpest talents from its future rivals. United’s own fastest drivers are also natural candidates, such as Paul di Resta, with the team since 2018, the underrated Ben Hanley, Renger van der Zande, and the impressive Tom Blomqvist.
Naturally, the subject of McLaren’s F1 drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris came up.
“I don’t think there’s a racing driver in the world who wouldn’t fancy having a go at Le Mans, and Oscar and Lando are definitely two of them,” Brown replied.
“But right now they’re focused on the F1 world championship. The schedules are tough. I don’t think they could be in the Hypercar programme.”
Why it should work
All signs point to McLaren being well-prepared. The resources are there, with genuine collaboration between McLaren Automotive - healthier than ever - and McLaren Racing.
“We’ve had a strong interest in wanting to go racing together with Automotive, and they’re now in a great position,” Brown said.
The car is already close to completion, with a shakedown due in the first half of 2026. By comparison, Ford, which will debut at the same time, is still at the sketch stage. This early start means McLaren United AS will have around 10 months of testing before homologation, ahead of its planned debut at the WEC’s Qatar 1812km in February/March 2027.
This is crucial, as the car will only be able to evolve very slightly thereafter. Only Porsche has enjoyed such extensive preparation, though it had to run the first-generation standard LMDh parts on the 963.
“The car is already well underway,” Brown admitted. “The reason we wanted to announce it early is to maximise preparation time. We already have the majority of the team in place.”
The WEC squad will be based in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, with no overlap with the F1 team in Woking or the IndyCar operation in Indianapolis. Its core will include experienced endurance engineers and mechanics already working with United in IMSA (LMP2) and the WEC (LMGT3 McLaren programme, pictured below).
“We’ve been working on this project in anticipation of getting the green light,” Dean said.
“When we recruited our technical director [Jakob Andreasen] from Toyota three years ago, we obviously had this in mind. We’ve been preparing for this opportunity for quite a while, recruiting over several years to make sure our structure is Hypercar-ready.”
And with Barclay - a proven race-winner with Jaguar in Formula E - leading the programme, Brown believes McLaren has found the right balance.
“He’s a racer, but also commercially minded, so he understands all aspects of what it takes to succeed in motorsport and how to work with an OEM,” said Brown of Barclay.
A humble but ambitious approach, trusted partners and collaborators, a long preparation period, and experienced staff who know what they’re getting into, the ingredients are there. Now it’s just a matter of finding the right recipe.
If the execution matches the planning, chasing another Triple Crown is far from wishful thinking.
