In 2027, McLaren return to Le Mans to pick up where they left off

One Sunday in June 1995, on a circuit drenched by incessant rain, McLaren entered the history books with an incredible achievement. The McLaren F1, designed for the road, not the race track, became the F1 GTR thanks to a specially-developed kit, and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans on first attempt despite very little preparation. The thousands of spectators present witnessed an unimaginable feat.

Thirty-two years later, McLaren is getting ready to return to the pinnacle of endurance racing. The manufacturer has elected to reflect past glory in the car’s test livery. The MCL-HY appeared last May dressed in the papaya colour that harks back to Bruce McLaren’s M6A, the car that sparked the desire to win Le Mans.

The McLaren M6A and the new MCL-HY stand shoulder to shoulder. Two milestones on McLaren’s road to Le Mans.

Bruce McLaren’s dream

In the late 1960s, Bruce McLaren was not content with winning. His triumph at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans with the Ford GT40 had triggered his imagination. Using his 1967-winning Can-Am M6A as a base, he designed a closed cockpit coupé he dubbed the M6GT. His aim was simple: to produce a small series (250), just enough to comply with GT homologation requirements to enter the 24 Hours of Le Mans. McLaren was out to build a brand, and to his mind, Le Mans was the place to do it.

The dream didn’t come true. Bruce McLaren lost his life in a test session at Goodwood. Without his input, his energy, the project came to a halt. A couple of M6GTs were built, but didn't ever appear at Le Mans.

The project was never buried. Merely shelved.

In 1995, Bruce McLaren’s dream came true in the shape of the McLaren F1. A singular machine that, despite its name, was not designed for racing. Gordon Murray intended it to be the ultimate road car. He had not reckoned with the constraints of the Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans, the demanding nature of the race, nor the opportunity to blast along at over 300 kph. Several racing driver customers managed to persuade the then head of McLaren, Ron Dennis, to turn the car into a racing GT.

On the day of the race, the sky was dark too. It rained for 17 of the 24 hours. A memorable experience for all concerned, not least the many spectators. The wet conditions favoured the British team, who, to widespread surprise, claimed the victory. Seven McLarens on the grid, five at the finish, four in the top five

An exploit, especially as none of the F1 GTRs had raced in the rain before. Yet, JJ Lehto, Yannick Dalmas and Masanori Sekiya dominated the field with the #59, covering a total of 298 laps.

When asked to name the highlight of his career, Gordon Murray doesn’t mention his Formula One titles. He cites the Le Mans victory. What a tribute, from an engineer who won everything! The aura of Le Mans dazzles participants and spectators alike. 

The McLarens remained among the leaders until 1998, but didn’t make another podium place. Then, nothing. A 26-year hiatus with no McLarens on the grid. But the silence didn’t spell the end. McLaren were just waiting.

Patience rewarded

In 2024, the time had come, and McLaren made their way back to Le Mans. First in LMGT3, to get used to the night stints, the tyre wear, the rain, and all the other peculiarities of La Sarthe. One step at a time. Here, speed is of the essence, but stamina is the decider, and tenacity keeps you hanging on, and coming back. 

McLaren will be back in the top class with their MCL-HY Hypercar factory entry in 2027. Under the bonnet, power comes from a twin-turbocharged V6 race engine developed in-house, paired with a hybrid MGU system, delivering up to 520kW (707PS) to the driven rear axle. The carbon chassis was built by Italian manufacturer Dallara, also the supplier of the BMW and Cadillac chassis, and with which McLaren already works in IndyCar.

You don’t win Le Mans on your own. To orchestrate the return, McLaren has appointed James Barclay Executive Director of McLaren Endurance Racing and Team Principal of McLaren Hypercar Team. In Formula E Barclay learned to lead a team to success starting from scratch. He heads a team whose name McLaren United, reflects a mind set. The name isn’t chosen by chance. This is a group effort, with United Autosports contributing their experience in LMP2 and GT3.

Chris Dyer (Technical Director) knows the way to the top. As key engineer from Michael Schumacher’s dominant Ferrari Formula One period, he has first-hand experience of the moments when a race hangs on a detail. You can’t get that knowledge from books. It’s passed on from one generation to the next.

Neil Oatley also brings a wealth of experience to the team. As a child, he collected autographs of Bruce McLaren, and when he became an engineer, he designed the McLarens of the Prost-Senna-Häkkinen era. Today, at 70, he is a consultant on the project. 

As for the people in the cockpit, two drivers are confirmed for the moment. First, Mikkel Jensen. At 31, he already boasts seven participations in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He’s driven in GTE, LMP2 and Hypercar. He knows how the 13.626-kilometre circuit feels at the wheel of very different cars and has several lasting memories. Rare experience for someone so young. “We come with more experience this time, because the Hypercar class has been in place for longer. We have drivers, engineers and mechanics that have experience from other places. We’ve got an idea of what to do to get a better car, let’s say.” 

The man by his side, Laurence Vanthoor, was World Endurance Champion in 2024. The Belgian has been at the top for ten years, as factory driver at Audi, then Porsche. He has won the major endurance races: Nürburgring, Bathurst, and Daytona. Le Mans too. A class win with the Pink Pig Porsche 911 RSR in 2018 with Kévin Estre and Michael Christensen. He is just missing the overall win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He came close last year.

In 2027, the McLaren flame will be back in La Sarthe, ready to shine brighter than ever.