Zak Brown would love McLaren to return to Le Mans

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McLaren executive Zak Brown believes a return of the manufacturer to the 24 Hours of Le Mans would blend in nicely with the brand's international promotion.

McLaren won the endurance classic in 1995 with a Lanzante Motorsport entered McLaren F1 GTR, overseen by the factory and driven by JJ Lehto, Yannick Dalmas and Masanori Sekiya.

"We have won Le Mans and the race is in our history, and part of my job is to decide where the McLaren brand should race," Brown told Autosport.

"Going back to Le Mans is something we have identified and are discussing. Personally, I would love to see us go to Le Mans, and I'm not the only one with those views."

Any subsequent McLaren involvement at Le Mans would require however the blessing of parent company McLaren Automotive, Brown insisted, and its chief operations officer Mike Flewitt.

The manufacture would target an entry in the GTE class, although Brown said that building a dedicated LMP1 prototype, while not envisaged, was within the realms of possibility.

In any case, Brown insisted that a works effort targeting Le Mans "would take several years to put together".

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.