WEC Season Preview: McLaren

Credit: Garage 59

After two years with United Autosports, McLaren have decided to pivot to Garage 59 for their LMGT3 programme, allowing United to focus on their upcoming 2027 venture into Hypercar with the British marque.

The McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo made it's World Endurance Championship (WEC) debut in 2024, the beginning of the LMGT3 class. Run by United Autosports in both seasons since, it's not been easy for the team.

In 2024, the No.59 car ended up ninth in the standings, with a trio of fourth places in Spa, Interlagos and COTA. The No.95 finished the season in 14th, despite a third place in Brazil.

2025 got off to a better start, with the No.59 fighting for the win in the opening race in Qatar, ultimately finishing second, just half a second off the victory and one of two cars on the lead lap in class.

The cars first ever WEC victory would be sealed in COTA too after a late race penalty gifted the No.95 the win in a soaked Texas race. Other than that though, there were no results of note. The two cars ended up 11th and 12th in the championship, tied on 43 points.

New team, new beginnings?

Credit: Garage 59

This year though they will hope for better. Garage 59 take over the programme, coming from campaigns mainly ran in SRO (Stéphane Ratel Organisation) competitions, namely the GT World Challenge Europe (GTWC EU) and British GT.

They've become the premier McLaren team there, challenging for both the overall Sprint and Endurance titles in the former last season.

“We are proud to be partnering with McLaren on the world stage,” said Andrew Kirkaldy, team principal of Garage 59. “Competing in the WEC with two McLaren GT3 cars 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.”

“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,” added McLaren Automotive CEO Nick Collins. “We hope to continue our strong progress and race winning performance with our new racing partners in 2026.”

With the new programme, in addition to their SRO commitments, the team has also moved to a new state-of-the-art facility in Northampton in the United Kingdom.

The drivers

The No.10 car (line-up seen left) will be piloted by Antares Au, Thomas Fleming and Marvin Kirchhöfer. Au, a 47 year-old hailing from Hong Kong, has almost 10 years of racing experience, almost entirely in Porsche machinery. This will be his first venture into a McLaren 720S GT3 car.

Fleming, at just 23 years of age made a name for himself in Ferrari Challenge cars in 2023, before being snapped up by Garage 59 for their GTWC programmes last season. There he proved to be a trustworthy driver, enough to be given the call for the WEC venture.

Kirchhöfer has been a staple of Garage 59 line-ups since 2020, so it only made sense to have him as part of the crew. He finished third overall with the team in the GTWC EU Sprint Cup last season.

“I’m excited for this new chapter as I have wanted to compete in WEC for a long time,” said Kirchhöfer. “We’ve had a great year in GT World Challenge, celebrating a few wins and a few pole positions, and this really motivates me to keep that momentum going into the new season of WEC.

"I must give great credit to the team as everyone has worked so hard this year and it was been a pleasure to be part of the Garage 59 story. I hope we can continue to celebrate together."

The second of the two cars will run the No.58, that has become synonymous with the team. Team owner, Alexander West will pilot that car. At 60 years old, he has experience driving a McLaren GT3 for his own team, and will now take on the WEC with his team.

“Taking Garage 59 into the FIA World Endurance Championship is a milestone moment for everyone involved in the team,” said West.

“We’ve built this team step-by-step over many years, and the opportunity to return to the world stage, particularly at events like Le Mans, is something we’ve all been working towards. Running the No.58 carries real meaning for us, and I’m proud to drive it into this next chapter."

Two-time polesitter from last year, Finn Gehrsitz will make the switch from Lexus to McLaren. The 21 year-old will be looking to improve even further on his second season in the championship.

Last but not least is Benjamin Goethe, another driver that has been a Garage 59 staple over the last few years. He will lead the No.58 as the Pro driver.

With the Hypercar programme creeping ever closer, McLaren are hoping that the LMGT3 campaign this year can help give the team momentum heading into 2027.