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Intercontinental GT Challenge

United Autosports Delays GT3 Return

Proposed United Autosports McLaren 720S GT3 program delayed by at least one year…

Photo: United Autosports

United Autosports has ruled out an expansion to GT3 racing for next year, with a proposed McLaren 720S GT3 program having been delayed by at least a year, according to managing director Richard Dean.

The Anglo-American squad, which as revealed by Sportscar365 in June, had been working on a return to GT racing for the first time in five years, although Dean explained it has reached the deadline needed to commit for 2020.

“Now we’re into November,” he told Sportscar365. “We needed a decision we’ve been looking for happen in October. We had a cut-off of October.

“It’s still something we’ve done a lot of work on and we’re looking. Now really it’s been pushed back to 2021, if it happens. It’s still a little bit out of our hands whether it happens or not.”

Dean explained that the proposed program has centered around dialogue with a sponsor that has not yet made a final decision.

He revealed that initial discussions were on fielding McLarens, either in GT World Challenge Europe or Intercontinental GT Challenge powered by Pirelli competition.

“It would be more than likely McLaren but that wasn’t necessarily [a requirement],” he said.

“We were looking anything from a Blancpain to Intercontinental Cup. It had to be quite a high profile series.”

United, which was founded by Dean and Zak Brown in 2010, initially campaigned Audi R8 LMS and McLaren MP4-12C GT3 machinery (pictured above) prior to a switch to prototype racing in 2016, where it will continue to focus on in 2020.

Programs in the FIA World Endurance Championship, European Le Mans Series and Michelin Le Mans Cup with LMP2 and/or LMP3 machinery are all again on the cards, according to Dean.

“If the sponsor had made the decision, then we would have gone ahead [with a return to GT3],” Dean said. “But that decision has been delayed. 

“It’s still something that’s on our radar but it won’t happen for 2020.”

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

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