McLaren targets a return to Le Mans in 2024
Not to be outdone its rivals, McLaren commits the 720S GT3 Evo to a place in the World Endurance Championship
McLaren has confirmed its intention to race in the 2024 World Endurance Championship, the first time it has fielded a factory sportscar effort since the days of the F1. It aims to enter a pair of 720S GT3 Evos in the LMGT3 class that’s new for WEC in 2024, which could see up to 36 GT3 cars compete on the endurance calendar.
McLaren is teaming up with United Autosports for the 2024 season; the Wakefield-based team has a long relationship with the Woking-based manufacturer, having campaigned the 12C GT3 car way back when. It secured a Le Mans class win and a WEC championship as recently as 2020 (in the LMP2 category) so United are surely an ideal partner to have on board. Especially with Zak Brown as one of the co-founders.
This isn’t a confirmed entry just yet, however, not least because the finer details of LMGT3 haven’t yet been thrashed out. And McLaren’s request to enter would have to be approved by the ACO. But there seems little reason for any obstacles to be placed in its way, particularly with that iconic sportscar racing heritage from the 1990s. A factory-backed McLaren in GT motorsport feels very right.
CEO Michael Leiters said of the announcement: “Motorsport remains a fundamental part of McLaren’s future of performance strategy, and we have long viewed the WEC as a natural fit for demonstrating the performance capabilities of our cars. This includes a return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans that is an intrinsic part of our enduring success in motorsport… We have selected United Autosports, who we feel shares our passion for endurance GT racing as well as the McLaren brand and, like McLaren, has a history of success in motorsport.” Sounds like a dream team is forming already, so expect another significant update before 2023 is out. Best get thinking about coming to Le Mans with PH next year…
"which could see up to 36 GT3 cars compete on the endurance calendar. "
Not it couldn't. WEC has a current capacity of 36 cars - and next year that will be split between 2 classes - Hypercar and GT3. Hypercar is likely to have around 20 full season entries, leaving 16 for GT3. That being the case Mclaren would be unlikely to be permitted to join the grid because manufacturers that also enter cars in Hypercar are given preferential treatment for grid slots. That means Lexus, Porsche, Ferrari, Chevrolet, Lamborghini, and BMW have slots sewn up already, with Ford and Aston Martin understood to granted entries due to recent WEC GT entries. Each of those manufacturers needs to enter two cars, so that is 16 cars - meaning no room for Mclaren. This could become worse for Mclaren if Honda (as expected) add their LMDh in 2025 - which would grant them preferential access to the GT3 field, too if they chose to enter their NX GT3. 36 cars has, hitherto, been the upper limit due to the logistics of shipping the cars around the world, plus the minimum availability of pit boxes at the various track the series visits. Moves are being made to try and increase to 40 cars. Some tracks, like Spa will have no issues with this, others, like Monza, would do so, meaning either calendar changes, or sharing of pit boxes, which is unlikely to be popular.
However, expanding the field to 38 or 40 cars is likely going to be the only way Mclaren (and AMG!) will get on the WEC GT3 grid.
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