In a blockbuster announcement that will electrify Team Papaya’s fans, McLaren has confirmed its return to top-tier sportscar racing with an entry into the Hypercar class of the World Endurance Championship in 2027.
The move marks a monumental comeback for the legendary marque as it targets a second victory at the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans — and reclaims its place among endurance racing’s elite.
McLaren Racing boss Zak Brown made the bold declaration in a simple but powerful statement on social: “We’re back.”
But the message is clear: McLaren is ready to make history once again.
McLaren’s return to endurance racing’s top class comes more than three decades after its legendary win at Le Mans in 1995, when the road-going McLaren F1 shocked the world by beating purpose-built prototypes in its debut appearance.
That historic triumph made McLaren the only manufacturer in motorsport history to claim the elusive Triple Crown — victories at the Monaco Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The British outfit is now set to rejoin the top ranks of the WEC in the LMDh class starting in 2027, going head-to-head with the likes of Ferrari, Toyota, Porsche, and Cadillac – with the ambition of even adding a second Le Mans title to its resume.
Whispers of McLaren’s WEC ambitions had been circulating for months, and speaking just last month, Zak Brown teased that a return was on the horizon.
“We love sports car racing,” Brown said. “We’re the only team to have won the ‘Triple Crown,’ It’d be cool to go for it again. We’re impressed with the rules, the competition.”
“We have certainly been reviewing it for quite some time and like what we see. We just need to look at how we are doing in Formula 1 and IndyCar. I don’t think the timing has ever really been better.”
Clearly, the timing was perfect.
A critical part of the return could be McLaren’s close ties with United Autosports, the championship-winning endurance outfit co-owned by Brown and Richard Dean.
Having claimed victory in the LMP2 class at Le Mans in 2020, and having fielded McLaren 720S LMGT3s in last year’s edition of the race, United is seen as a natural partner — and potentially the squad that will spearhead the Hypercar program in collaboration with McLaren.
The move into LMDh — the hybrid-based prototype platform shared with IMSA — ensures global eligibility and aligns with McLaren’s focus on technical innovation and high-profile competition.
Under Brown’s leadership, McLaren Racing has undergone a renaissance since 2017, expanding far beyond Formula 1. The team is a frontrunner in IndyCar, with Pato O’Ward regularly in the mix for race wins and titles, and has carved a niche in electric racing with entries in Formula E and Extreme E.
The addition of a WEC Hypercar program is the next logical — and ambitious — step in McLaren’s global motorsport strategy.
With Ferrari’s dramatic return to Le Mans in 2023 culminating in a historic win in 2024, and manufacturers flocking to endurance racing’s new golden era, McLaren’s arrival adds another layer of excitement to a championship already bursting with talent and prestige.
The countdown to 2027 begins now — and with McLaren back in the game, the battle for Le Mans glory is about to get even more intense.
The cat is out of the box. McLaren is back. And the race to the top just got a lot more orange.
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