Garage 59 is set to become the official FIA World Endurance Championship LMGT3 partner of McLaren Automotive in 2026, taking over from the brand’s future Hypercar service provider, United Autosports.
The change follows the announcement earlier this year that McLaren Racing will enter the WEC Hypercar class in 2027, racing under the McLaren United AS banner.
With preparations for that effort well underway, McLaren and United Autosports have mutually agreed that the Wakefield team will step back from the WEC after the 2025 season finale in Bahrain to focus on developing the new Dallara-based McLaren LMDh prototype ahead of its debut.
“It is truly an honour to race in the WEC, so this is not a decision we have taken lightly,” explained Richard Dean, United Autosports CEO.
“But when you have the opportunity to race in Hypercar and form a team with McLaren Racing with the goal to compete for outright victory in the championship, including Le Mans, that is something we have worked for, fought for, and dreamed of, for years, so we are doing everything in our power to make it a success.
“I would like to thank WEC for their support, and wish Garage 59 and McLaren Automotive the best of luck next season in LMGT3. We will be back on the grid in 2027, and we can’t wait.”
Garage 59, named in honour of the number that McLaren’s Le Mans-winning F1 GTR used in 1995, brings title-winning experience from SRO competition with the Woking-based brand to the WEC’s GT category.
Its roll of honour includes the 2016 Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup title. This was followed up with the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup Pro Am drivers title in 2022, the Bronze Cup the following year, and the 2024 British GT Silver Am title.
In 2025 it also won multiple races in GT World Challenge Europe, challenging for the overall titles, and expects to build on United’s race-winning success in the WEC this year.
“With success achieved by our Formula One team, the new Hypercar project gathering momentum and the race-winning performance of our GT cars, it’s a very exciting time for McLaren,” Nick Collins, the CEO of McLaren Automotive, said.
“We thank United Autosports for their valuable contribution to this success, including our maiden WEC race victory earlier this year, and look forward to their future achievements in Hypercar.
“Motorsport is intrinsic to the DNA of McLaren Automotive, and it’s exciting to continue our journey in the LMGT3 class with new racing partner Garage 59. We hope to continue our strong progress and race-winning performance with our new racing partners in 2026.
Andrew Kirkaldy, Garage 59’s team principal, added that the team is proud to have been selected to fly the flag for the brand on the world stage.
“Competing in the WEC with two McLaren GT3 EVOs isn’t just a progression; it’s a statement of intent. We know how intense the competition is in the WEC, but we believe we have the people, the infrastructure, and the resolve to be competitive from day one.”
Garage 59 is set to move into new state-of-the-art premises in Northampton imminently, and will reveal its driver line-ups for WEC and GT World Challenge in due course.
United Autosports, meanwhile, will continue to compete in the Asian Le Mans Series over the winter, then the ELMS (subject to receiving entries) and IMSA SportsCar Championship next year alongside its Hypercar preparations.
Image credits, Peter May, Drew Gibson & Garage 59
