McLaren announces Le Mans return in top class of WEC

McLaren has officially announced that it will return to the top flight of the World Endurance Championship in 2027 and battle for outright victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The Zak Brown-led outfit has been teasing a return to sportscar racing’s top echelons since last year’s 24 Hours of Le Lans, with the American further fuelling speculation last month at the opening round of the WEC season in Qatar.

During the Qatar round, Brown said it was a “priority” for McLaren to return to Le Mans and compete for outright honours.

It last won Le Mans outright in 1995, completing its motorsport Triple Crown of victories at Le Mans, the Indianapolis 500 and the Monaco Grand Prix.

In a press release and teaser video released on Thursday morning, McLaren has confirmed it will enter the WEC in 2027 in the Hypercar class.

The team didn’t reveal any other details, other than the date of its WEC entry and a simple line from Brown stating: “We’re back.”

A full announcement of its plans is expected to take place at Le Mans this June, on the 30th anniversary of its victory at the enduro with the F1 GTR.

At this stage, it’s not clear what car McLaren will enter into the WEC in 2027 - though Brown has spoken before about going down the LMDh route, rather than an LMH competitor.

It’s also not certain yet if McLaren will also enter into the IMSA SportsCar Championship in North America when it returns to top flight sportscar racing.

A 2027 entry into WEC would give McLaren three years with the current regulations, after organisers announced last year that rules would remain unchanged until 2029.

With McLaren joining the WEC field in 2027, the number of manufacturers present in the top class will boost to 11 with Ford returning in 2027 and Genesis - which is Hyundai's entry - making its debut next year.

McLaren currently has a presence in WEC in the LMGT3 class, with the Brown-founded United Autosports.

The #59 McLaren was second at the recent Qatar round of the 2025 WEC.