McLaren Racing has confirmed the first driver for its long-awaited return to the pinnacle of sports car racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, announcing Danish standout Mikkel Jensen as part of its factory Hypercar programme.
Jensen will race for McLaren Racing’s official entry, the McLaren United AS WEC Hypercar Team, as the manufacturer prepares for its comeback to endurance racing’s top class. He began his professional career in 2017 and quickly built an impressive résumé across global GT competition before transitioning into prototype racing.
Along the way, Jensen claimed championship titles in both the European Le Mans Series and the IMSA SportsCar Championship. His performances earned him a seat with Peugeot for its return to Le Mans, where he went on to secure podium finishes in every full season he contested in the WEC Hypercar category.
The new programme unites the engineering and technical expertise of McLaren Racing at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking with the proven endurance racing success of United Autosports. Over the coming season, the team will focus on developing McLaren’s FIA Hypercar ahead of its competitive debut.
Jensen will play a key role in that development effort while continuing his current racing commitments. He is presently competing with United Autosports in the Asian Le Mans Series and is set to take part in the ROAR Before the 24 test at Daytona later this week, ahead of the IMSA season opener.
“I’m extremely proud to be joining the World Championship-winning McLaren family and to be involved in the Hypercar project from the very beginning,” Jensen said. “Walking through the McLaren Technology Centre gives me goosebumps. The history in Formula 1 is incredible, and seeing the 1995 Le Mans-winning F1 GTR is a powerful reminder that we have an amazing endurance legacy to build on.”
McLaren Racing is scheduled to return to the top class of the World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2027, 32 years after winning the iconic race outright on its debut in 1995. The programme represents the final element of McLaren’s renewed push for the ‘Triple Crown’ of motorsport, which also includes victories at the Monaco Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500. As the only manufacturer to have achieved the Triple Crown, McLaren is aiming to repeat the feat in what promises to be one of the most competitive eras across all three disciplines.
James Barclay, Team Principal of McLaren Endurance Racing, welcomed the announcement as a key step forward.
“Signing Mikkel is an important milestone in building our Hypercar team,” Barclay said. “He has already established himself as one of the most complete and competitive sports car drivers in the world, with valuable Hypercar experience. As we prepare to enter what may be the most competitive WEC season ever, having a driver of his calibre and potential is hugely important. He’s a true racer and fits perfectly with McLaren’s culture and values.”
Since its introduction in 2022, the FIA Hypercar class has expanded rapidly, attracting many of the world’s leading manufacturers. The regulations allow significant design freedom, ensuring McLaren’s upcoming prototype, due to be unveiled later this year, will capture the imagination of fans and customers alike.
In a unique collaboration, McLaren Racing and McLaren Automotive are also developing a customer track version of the Hypercar, known as Project: Endurance. The two-year programme will offer customers the rare chance to own and drive a Le Mans Hypercar, while gaining unprecedented access to its development and witnessing McLaren’s return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2027.
