McLaren Automotive has announced that Garage 59 will become its official FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) partner starting with the 2026 season
- Multiple championship winning team Garage 59 will represent McLaren Automotive on the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) grid*
- Current racing partner United Autosports will now focus on preparations and testing of new McLaren Racing LMDh Hypercar ahead of 2027 debut
- United Autosports and McLaren Automotive aiming for strong end to 2025 WEC season in which the McLaren GT3 EVO claimed its maiden victory
Garage 59 will become the official FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) racing partner of McLaren Automotive from the start of the 2026 season*, taking over the race-winning LMGT3 programme from United Autosports.
The change of racing partner follows the exciting announcement earlier this year that McLaren Racing will enter the WEC Hypercar class, racing under the McLaren United AS banner. With preparations well underway, McLaren and United Autosports have mutually agreed that the team will now focus on maximising the performance of the new McLaren LMDh car ahead of its 2027 debut.
New McLaren Automotive racing partner Garage 59 is named in honour of the iconic Le Mans-winning McLaren F1 GTR and, fittingly, the team has claimed multiple championships in McLaren machinery, including with the 2016 Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup with then-Factory Driver Rob Bell amongst the victorious drivers. This was followed up with the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup Pro Am drivers title in 2022, the Bronze Cup the following year, and the 2024 British GT Silver Am title. This season the team won multiple races in GT World Challenge Europe, challenging for the overall titles.
From its WEC debut in 2023 the McLaren GT3 EVO has proven to be a formidable racing machine in the LMGT3 class. Last year, McLaren made history by claiming pole position on its return to Le Mans and becoming the first manufacturer to lock out the front row of the grid. With multiple pole positions and podiums secured, the United Autosports-run McLaren GT3 EVO claimed its maiden race win at the Circuit of the Americas in September. New racing partner Garage 59 team is now set to use its extensive experience and success to challenge for further victories and the WEC LMGT3 title
“With success achieved by our Formula One team, the new Hypercar project gathering momentum and the race-winning performance of our GT cars, it’s a very exciting time for McLaren. We thank United Autosports for their valuable contribution to this success, including our maiden WEC race victory earlier this year, and look forward to their future achievements in Hypercar.
Motorsport is intrinsic to the DNA of McLaren Automotive, and it’s exciting to continue our journey in the LMGT3 class with new racing partner Garage 59. We hope to continue our strong progress and race winning performance with our new racing partners in 2026.”
Nick Collins, CEO, McLaren Automotive, “We are proud to be partnering with McLaren on the world stage. Competing in the WEC with two McLaren GT3 EVOs isn’t just a progression, it’s a statement of intent. We know how intense the competition is in the WEC, but we believe we have the people, the infrastructure, and the resolve to be competitive from day one.”
Andrew Kirkaldy, Team Principal, Garage 59, “It is truly an honour to race in the WEC, so this is not a decision we have taken lightly, but when you have the opportunity to race in Hypercar, going for outright victory around the world including Le Mans; that is something we have worked for, fought for, dreamed of for years, so we are doing everything in our power to make it a success. I would like to thank WEC for their support and wish Garage 59 and McLaren Automotive the best of luck next season in LMGT3. We will be back on the grid in 2027 as the McLaren United AS WEC Hypercar Team and we can’t wait.”
Richard Dean, CEO, United Autosports
