Thirty years after winning the Le Mans 24 Hours for the first time, McLaren has officially announced the launch of the new McLaren Racing Endurance team – McLaren United AS (Auto Sports) – which will compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar class beginning in 2027.
Having announced back in April its plans to enter the premier category of the WEC with a Dallara-based LMDh prototype, McLaren shared key details about its programme today. The new McLaren hypercar will be designed internally and run in conjunction with two-time Le Mans 24 Hours class-winning team United Autosports.
And critically, the new McLaren prototype will be powered by an Autotecnica Motori V6 twin-turbo engine, designed by McLaren Racing and McLaren Automotive. The target is for the car to be on track and testing in the first half of 2026.
James Barclay will join as Team Principal of McLaren United AS, beginning in September. Barclay will join McLaren after concluding his work as Managing Director of JLR (Jaguar Land Rover) Motorsport and Team Principal of Jaguar TCS Racing in the FIA Formula E World Championship in July.
Barclay was a fundamental figure in establishing the Jaguar Formula E team in 2016, and led the marque to its first motorsport World Championship win since 1991.
“I am honoured to be joining a brand with such an incredible history of racing excellence,” Barclay said today. “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.”
Zak Brown, McLaren Racing CEO, remarked: “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. 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.”
That preview will come tomorrow, before the start of the 93rd Le Mans 24 Hours – when McLaren presents an exclusive reveal of its Hypercar challenger at the Manufacturers’ Village in Le Mans, at 10:00 CET (local time).
Images © McLaren
