Garage 59 has announced it 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 program from United Autosports.
The change of racing partner follows the announcement earlier this year that McLaren Racing will enter the WEC Hypercar class, racing under the McLaren United AS banner. With preparations underway, McLaren and United Autosports have mutually agreed that the team will now focus on maximizing the performance of the latest McLaren LMDh car ahead of its 2027 debut.
“With success achieved by our Formula 1 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,” said Nick Collins, CEO, McLaren Automotive.
Collins continued, “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.”
Garage 59, named in tribute to the Le Mans-winning McLaren F1 GTR, has secured multiple titles with McLaren. “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,” added Andrew Kirkaldy, team principal, Garage 59.
Richard Dean, CEO, United Autosports, concluded, “It is truly an honor 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.”
In related news, McLaren Technology Centre installs Dynisma Motion Generator simulator
