McLaren Clarifies Position on LMDh Evaluations

McLaren has clarified its position on evaluations for an LMDh project with the company’s CEO Zak Brown stating that the process is ongoing but no decision has been reached.

Having been involved in technical working group meetings since the early days of convergence talks between IMSA and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, McLaren has been one of several marques to exhibit interest in the global top-level prototype formula.

Brown was responding to recent comments from JOTA regarding the British team’s long-term ambition to enter the LMDh formula.

JOTA currently runs a McLaren 720S GT3 in Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS with factory drivers and is looking to add a Pro-Am entry for next season.

“We continue to review LMDh but haven’t arrived at a conclusion on whether we would do it,” Brown told Sportscar365 in an update on April 22.

“Or if so whether we would do it internally or externally, or indeed if we were to do it externally how we would do it and who with. JOTA is a valued customer team of McLaren GT.”

Sportscar365 understands that McLaren’s earliest timing for a decision on LMDh would be later this year, although precise details beyond that estimation are not established.

Brown indicated last September that McLaren would need to make a call in the first half of 2021 if it was to commit to an LMDh program for 2023.

That is when Audi, Porsche and Acura are set to join, along with Ferrari which is entering the FIA World Endurance Championship with a hybrid-powered Le Mans Hypercar.

However, at the time Brown said that 2023 was not the only option for a potential McLaren entry, with 2024 also on the table. An entry beyond 2024 was ruled out.

McLaren’s declaration of ongoing LMDh evaluations comes shortly after Lamborghini re-emerged this week as a contender for a program, with its head of motorsport Giorgio Sanna stating that a final decision from Sant’Agata Bolognese is due to come “soon”.