McLaren has named the car with which it seeks to return to overall contention at Le Mans and in the WEC. The LMDh prototype will be called the MCL-HY, a designation that extends the naming convention the team has used in Formula 1 since 2017 and adds the suffix HY for the Hypercar class in which it will compete starting in 2027. The official presentation is on May 4th, but before that date the car will run for the first time at Varano de' Melegari, the circuit in northern Italy where Dallara, which supplies the prototype's chassis, has its headquarters.

Photo By Maxime Lantz

When McLaren starts its first full season in 2027, Ferrari, BMW, Cadillac, and Toyota will already have several full seasons competing in the Hypercar class. Entering late has real costs in a championship where the Balance of Performance levels the on-paper performance but not the operational experience or the accumulated knowledge of the teams. United Autosports, the team of Zak Brown and Richard Dean that will operate the program, has been in the WEC in LMP2 for years, giving them infrastructure and processes, but the Hypercar class is another scale of logistical and technical complexity.

The technology of the MCL-HY

The engine of the MCL-HY is a 3.0-liter biturbo V6 that ATM developed based on the Artura's architecture, combined with the Bosch hybrid system that the LMDh regulations establish for all participants. On-track operations will be handled by United Autosports, the team of Zak Brown and Richard Dean. Their incorporation into the program was formalized during Le Mans week in 2025, exactly 30 years after the victory of Lehto, Dalmas, and Sekiya, the only time McLaren has won the 24 Hours, doing so on its first attempt. James Barclay, who led Jaguar in Formula E for several years before joining the project, coordinates the program as Managing Director.

The driver lineup is incomplete; Mikkel Jensen is the only one officially confirmed. With the first rollout imminent and the official presentation in May, the remaining names should be known in the coming weeks.

Photo By Maxime Lantz