McLaren prepares for historic Le Mans return

McLaren will appear at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time in 26 years this weekend with three GT3 EVO cars all pushing for victory.

Along with the Indy 500 and Monaco Grand Prix, McLaren’s representation at Le Mans this weekend marks the first time that the British brand has raced in all of the ‘Triple Crown’ events in the same season.

Using the 750S as its template, the McLaren GT3 EVO has been modified for the race track and shares similarities with the McLaren F1 road car that won on its debut at Le Mans in 1995. Originally designed for speed, many of the Formula 1 derived technologies - seen most prominently in the chassis - that were implemented on the car have been developed and perfected for use in McLaren’s modern racing cars.

At the heart of the GT3 EVO is the same 4-litre twin-turbo V8 used in the 750S. This combines with lightweight materials, variable valve timing and dry sump lubrication to create a much more powerful car than the road going version and one that is built for the rigours of endurance racing. Add to the mix track specific brakes, slick tyres and aerodynamic features not allowed on a road car.

Two of the three GT3 EVOs at Le Mans will be entered by WEC racing partner United Autosports. The 59 car will be driven by James Cottingham, Nicolas Costa and Grégoire Saucy while the 95 car will see Hiroshi Hamaguchi, Marino Sato and Nicolas Pino behind the wheel.

The other car entered will be prepared by Inception Racing and will see Brendan Iribe, Ollie Millroy and Frederik Schandorff in the seat.

words: Mike Booth

pictures: McLaren Automotive