McLaren announces Le Mans comeback in 2024
Two United Autosports-run McLaren 720S cars will compete in the new LMGT3 class at Le Mans
Could a crack at the new LMGT3 class be a precursor to a McLaren Hypercar?
McLAREN
Two days after Aston Martin announced its Valkyrie programme, McLaren became the latest big name to reveal its own Le Mans and WEC campaign – even if it’s not yet ready to bid for an overall win in the Hypercar class. Instead, McLaren will make its La Sarthe comeback next year in the LMGT3 class that is replacing GTE Pro, running a pair of 720S GT3s for a full WEC campaign. And it was a surprise to no one that United Autosports has been chosen to spearhead the return given the Leeds-based team was co-founded by McLaren Racing chief Zak Brown.
“We have long viewed the WEC as a natural fit for demonstrating the performance of our cars,” said McLaren Automotive CEO Michael Leiters. He added that Le Mans remains “an intrinsic part of our enduring success in motor sport”, in reference to McLaren’s famous victory in the 24 Hours with the F1 GTR in 1995.
The question is, how long before McLaren commits to build a Hypercar?