McLaren: Establishing WEC Hypercar Effort “First Priority”

Image: McLaren

McLaren’s “first priority” is focused on establishing its factory Hypercar program in the FIA World Endurance Championship before finalizing plans for a targeted expansion into the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship according to McLaren Endurance Racing executive director James Barclay.

The British manufacturer, which will enter top-class WEC competition next year under the McLaren United AS banner, has previously expressed interest in also running its yet-to-be-named Dallara-chassied LMDh car in the WeatherTech Championship, although it will not come any earlier than 2028, as reaffirmed by McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown.

Brown and Barclay are on-site at this weekend’s Rolex 24 at Daytona for what’s understood to be meetings with IMSA and possible teams that could operate the proposed IMSA GTP program in the future.

“The first priority is on establishing the Hypercar program,” said Barclay during a media roundtable interview at Daytona International Speedway.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do this year. A huge amount has happened already to get us to the point to go testing this year and preparing for the World Endurance Championship, first and foremost.

“Once we’re fully set up and ready, and the reason we’re clearly here [at Daytona] is to keep very close to developments here. I think it’s fair to say there’s a huge desire for us to be here in the future.

“Zak said that when we announced the return in Le Mans last year.

“For now the focus is getting everything set up for the World Endurance Championship.

“But I think it’s fair to say there’s great conversations happening and there’s lot of interest. But the first step is getting the first part of the program set up and working really well.

“The target is to be here in IMSA in the future.”

Brown added: “Let’s get WEC up and running and make sure it’s successful. Our desire to be in IMSA is very high. But one step at a time.

“It’s no different than Formula 1, which I had to get in a good place before we got into IndyCar. And then had to get Formula 1 and IndyCar in a good place before we stepped up to WEC.

“The desire to be here is strong. It just needs to make sense for us, not just commercially, but operationally, because we run all the teams very independently.”

When asked by Sportscar365 if the targeted WeatherTech Championship program could initially start as a Michelin Endurance Cup-only effort, Barclay admitted that “all options are open” at this stage.

“We’re not at that point yet where we’re deciding if it’s endurance or the full championship,” he said.

“The focus is setting up the Hypercar program, setting up our work activity and then looking at what the right option and business case for us to come and do.”

Brown added that United Autosports, a team he also co-owns, may “not necessarily” be the chosen service provider for the IMSA GTP effort.

“I think James and I would sit down and look at what the opportunities there are,” he said. “It’s great that we’ve got Bobby Rahal running the GTD Pro program.

“James has total authority on figuring out where he wants to take the program. I think all options are on the table.”

Brown: Rolex 24 Offers Platform for ‘Exciting Stuff’

Should a WeatherTech Championship effort be formally confirmed, Brown hinted at the possibility of potentially bringing its star drivers from McLaren’s other programs, such as Formula 1 and IndyCar, to the Rolex 24.

Recently crowned F1 champion Lando Norris and two-time F1 title winner Fernando Alonso raced as co-drivers with 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours winner Phil Hanson in a United Autosports-run Ligier JS P217 Gibson in the LMP2 class of the race in 2018

“Obviously we brought Lando and Fernando [Alonso] here,” said Brown. “That’s more difficult to do at Le Mans because it’s in the middle of the year and it’s three drivers where here you can go to four drivers. You can run extra cars.

“As you’ve seen done around a fourth car at the Indy 500 and that nature, that we like to do stuff that’s different and exciting. Daytona is a platform that would allow us to have some fun.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John