Garage 59 will become the official FIA World Endurance Championship racing partner of McLaren Automotive from the start of the 2026 season, taking over the race-winning LMGT3 program from United Autosports.
The change of racing partner follows the exciting announcement earlier this year that McLaren Racing will enter the WEC Hypercar class, racing under the McLaren United AS banner. With preparations well underway, McLaren and United Autosports have mutually agreed that the team will now focus on maximising the performance of the new McLaren LMDh car ahead of its 2027 debut.
New McLaren Automotive racing partner Garage 59 is named in honour of the iconic Le Mans-winning McLaren F1 GTR and, fittingly, the team has claimed multiple championships in McLaren machinery, including with the 2016 Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup with then-Factory Driver Rob Bell amongst the victorious drivers. This was followed up with the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup Pro Am drivers title in 2022, the Bronze Cup the following year, and the 2024 British GT Silver Am title. This season the team won multiple races in GT World Challenge Europe, challenging for the overall titles.
From its WEC debut in 2023 the McLaren GT3 EVO has proven to be a formidable racing machine in the LMGT3 class. Last year, McLaren made history by claiming pole position on its return to Le Mans and becoming the first manufacturer to lock out the front row of the grid. With multiple pole positions and podiums secured, the United Autosports-run McLaren GT3 EVO claimed its maiden race win at the Circuit of the Americas in September.
New racing partner Garage 59 team is now set to use its extensive experience and success to challenge for further victories and the WEC LMGT3 title
“With success achieved by our Formula 1 team, the new Hypercar project gathering momentum and the race-winning performance of our GT cars, it’s a very exciting time for McLaren. We thank United Autosports for their valuable contribution to this success, including our maiden WEC race victory earlier this year, and look forward to their future achievements in Hypercar,” said Nick Collins, CEO, McLaren Automotive. “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. We hope to continue our strong progress and race winning performance with our new racing partners in 2026.”
“We are proud to be partnering with McLaren on the world stage. Competing in the WEC with two McLaren GT3 EVOs 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,” said Andrew Kirkaldy, Team Principal, Garage 59.
