Marvin Kirchhöfer has announced that he will leave McLaren’s stable of factory GT drivers after five years with the British marque.
The German driver has been regarded as one of McLaren’s top GT3 drivers since joining them in 2022. Kirchhöfer helped lead Garage 59 to its first FIA World Endurance Championship victory at the 6 Hours of Spa in May, alongside co-drivers Antares Au and Tom Fleming.
In 2025, he took pole position for the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, en route to a sixth-place finish alongside Benji Goethe and Joseph Loake. That season, Kirchhöfer and Goethe finished third in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup standings with wins at Misano and Magny-Cours, and fifth in the overall GT World Europe championship.
Kirchhöfer’s run at McLaren also included stints at teams such as JOTA Sport, Optimum Motorsport/Inception Racing, Dörr Motorsport, and Pfaff Motorsports.
In a statement on social media, Kirchhöfer said, “I can’t thank McLaren Customer Racing enough for their trust and belief in me back in 2021, when they signed me as a factory driver.
“Besides achieving some amazing results, I’ve had the opportunity to work with so many incredible people. Many of them have become good friends, which is one of the biggest privileges and definitely something I truly appreciate about this sport.
“Thanks to all my teammates that made this journey a fun one! Now, a new chapter begins, and I can’t wait for it to start.”
McLaren’s statement says: “Pole positions. Lap records. Race wins. Memories we’ll always treasure. Thank you, Marvin Kirchhöfer, for your dedication, commitment and outstanding contribution as a McLaren Factory Driver. It’s been a pleasure to share the journey and celebrate so many successes together.
“Wishing you all the best for your next chapter. We’ll see you on the race track.”
Images © SRO Motorsports Group, Paul Foster / dailysportscar.com
