McLaren to race Le Mans 24-hour with Wakefield's United Autosports

McLaren is the only team to win the iconic triple crown: the Monaco Grand Prix, Indy 500 and 24 Hours of Le Mans and in 2024, subject to confirmation of WEC entries by the ACO, will make history as the first team to contest all three landmark events in the same season.

And Yorkshire’s United, which won the LMP2 class of Le Mans in 2020, has been selected to help them do so.

United Autosports chief executive Richard Dean, who has been working hard to get his private team an alliance with a major works outfit, said: “This is a very important project for McLaren on their return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, so we are extremely proud to have been selected as the team to represent McLaren in LMGT3 at Le Mans and indeed in the WEC.

“United Autosports’ experience at Le Mans and in the World Endurance Championship will be invaluable but we know this is a seriously competitive place to be and we are ready for the challenge.”

United Autosports won the FIA World Endurance Championship LMP2 class in 2020, celebrated LMP2 victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the same year and continues to demonstrate its prowess on the global stage with three pole posiitons, five podiums and one victory to date in the competitive WEC 2023 season.

Michael Leiters, CEO of McLaren Automotive, said: “Motorsport remains a fundamental part of McLaren’s future of performance strategy, and we have long viewed the WEC as a natural fit for demonstrating the performance capabilities of our cars. This includes a return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans that is an intrinsic part of our enduring success in motorsport and in particular, the triple crown which is unique to McLaren as a supercar manufacturer and racing car constructor.

"We have selected United Autosports, who we feel shares our passion for endurance GT racing as well as the McLaren brand and, like McLaren, has a history of success in motorsport.

“United Autosports has communicated to the Automobile Club de l’Ouest its intent to field two McLaren 720S GT3 EVOs in the 2024 WEC and we hope that their entry will be accepted. And we are looking forward to racing our rivals in the WEC from 2024.”