Unlike with many of its future Hypercar rivals, the arrival of United Autosports into the FIA WEC’s top category with McLaren next year will not signal the end of the team’s participation in LMP2.
The Anglo-American outfit has recently become the first to declare its chassis of choice for the incoming 2028 regulations, in a clear statement of intent that LMP2, which managing director Max Gregory called a “mainstay of our business” earlier this year, will remain a key part of its racing efforts for years to come.
More imminently, however, the focus is on this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, where United will attempt to add a third victory to its LMP2 success from 2020 and 2024.
The team arrives at the Circuit de la Sarthe in strong form, at the top of the standings in both the European Le Mans Series and IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship, and off the back of a commanding victory in the ELMS round at Circuit Paul Ricard which has firmly thrust it back into the favourites conversation after a difficult 2025 season.
In its #22 ORECA, ELMS regular Gregoire Saucy will be joined by confirmed McLaren Hypercar driver Mikkel Jensen, and Le Mans rookie Rasmus Lindh, who races for United in the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship, and won last year’s Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona with the team.
It’s a third Le Mans start for Saucy, who is making the step into LMP2 after racing as part of United’s LMGT3 effort for the past two years.
“I’m really looking forward to the first time with the LMP2,” Saucy tells DSC.
“It’s been a good start to the season with United in ELMS, so I’m really looking forward to the 24 hours with two different teammates, who I know because I did the Rolex 24 with Rasmus, and the Asian Le Mans Series with Mikkel.”
The Swiss driver highlights a change in qualifying performance as one of the keys to United’s ELMS success this season, with his qualifying effort in Paul Ricard, second on the grid and only 0.021 seconds off pole position, meaning the team was able to control its own destiny in the race.
Although on paper, starting position shouldn’t be of major importance for a 24-hour race, being close enough to the front to avoid catching different slow zones can prove to be a difference-maker, especially if, as was the case last year, the race runs without many Safety Car interruptions.
“We’ve already seen a good step compared to last year. At Paul Ricard, already from qualifying, which was one of the things we didn’t have the greatest last year, getting the front row with the car, and then the win in the race was really nice. We need to still continue to work in the same way and direction, but I’m really confident.”
This confidence passes through to Saucy’s aims for Le Mans, with the 26-year-old focussed solely on the top step.
“When we come to Le Mans, we always want to win it, so I will do the maximum to win it,” Saucy says.
This objective is backed up by Lindh, who currently finds himself in the lead of the IMSA Sportscar Championship after a consistent start to the season for himself, Paul Di Resta and Daniel Goldburg.
“The goal is always to win,” he exclaims. “That’s why we come here. And for me, doing a good impression for everybody that’s here. I’m in great hands with United, Mikkel and Gregoire, so I’m excited.”
Not only was Sunday’s Test Day Lindh’s first taste of the Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans, but also with the Le Mans-only LMP2 technical package, with his biggest concern being learning the Goodyear tyres, which have received an update since he last raced on them in 2024.
“We’re not far off Daytona aero, and the power should be quite similar, but the biggest thing will be to get used to the tyres, and especially the track at Le Mans” he says.
With the sister entry, #222, United will compete for LMP2 Pro/Am honours, with the experienced hands of Oliver Jarvis and Hanley, and Le Mans sophomore Daniel Schneider, forming an unchanged line-up.
“Every time you go back to Le Mans is special, it’s just such an incredible race,” Jarvis says.
“Even if it’s my 14th, it still gives the same rush and goosebumps as it did when I went for my first. The difference is you know what to expect, you know much more about how the whole week and everything works.”
The aim for the #222 trio, which yielded sixth in LMP2 Pro/Am as the #23 last year, is to build off this run, with Schneider having now completed Le Mans and everything else which comes with the event.
“Last year was very much the first year for Daniel at Le Mans, and for him it’s a steep learning curve,” Jarvis explains.
“It’s such a unique track, and not one you can test at, so I think we’re in a much better position going back this year, just because he has that prior knowledge and hopefully we can build on that and fight towards the front.”
Jarvis, who was part of United’s 2024-winning crew alongside Nolan Siegel and Bijoy Garg, is also relatively new to competing in LMP2 Pro/Am at Le Mans, having first competed in the sub-class last year. A significant shift, albeit one he’d already done in the ELMS, it’s something that the four-time outright podium finisher is relishing.
“The last couple of years have been completely different,” he states.
“Being in a Pro/Am car, it’s a different environment and experience. I’m really enjoying it. We haven’t achieved the results that we would like, but that doesn’t mean we’re not trying or pushing, and every race we come in with the intention to win.
“The Pro/Am level has taken a huge step, with guys coming over from America and driving the cars as much, if not more, than the pros. We’ve seen a big increase in the performance there, which is making life even more difficult.”
The 42-year-old is under no illusion of how challenging it will be to contend for victory, let alone pull it off, having experienced the full range of emotions and fates Le Mans can throw at someone since making his maiden appearance in 2010.
“To win Le Mans now, everything has to go right,” he says.
“You can’t just cruise round and hope to be in the fight, you’ve got to push every corner, every lap.
“The safety car [which received a significant regulatory overhaul in 2023] has changed things slightly, but with the reliability of the LMP2 car and the competition level where it is at, you have to push every lap of the race to make sure you’re in the right track position at the end of the race, and also incase the safety car doesn’t come.”
One year when (almost) everything went right for Jarvis was 2017, when he claimed the ORECA 07’s maiden Le Mans win with Jackie Chan DC Racing. Having been almost ever-present in the class since, the Briton is well-placed to comment on how the secondary prototype class has evolved through a decade which has seen the strength and depth of the field increase exponentially.
“I’ve been involved since the start of this car,” he says. “I’ve seen teams come and go, and all I can say is the level is as high as it’s ever been.
“I think also what’s happened is, given the car’s been around since 2017, there’s almost a decade of knowledge and learning about the car, and that has channeled its way through the paddock.”
The decision to split its entries between LMP2 and LMP2 Pro/Am means that United Autosports has effectively doubled its chance of securing a third Le Mans victory, on its 10th consecutive appearance at the race.
Not being in direct competition also benefits both cars, with it resulting in an increased level of co-operation between the two crews.
“I think it definitely makes it a bit easier to coexist, because you’re not fighting for the same result,” Jarvis explains.
“We get along really well with the sister car, we share information. The team’s always an open book, whether we have two Pro cars, one Pro and one Pro/Am, or two Pros and one Pro/Am. We’ve all got access to the setups and data, but I think a lot more open discussion and sharing goes on when you’re from a driver point of view, when you’re not directly in competition with each other.”
The two United Autosports ORECAs will start in the middle of the LMP2 grid, 11th and 12th respectively.
Images © Andrew Lofthouse, David Lord and Peter ‘Pedro’ May
