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Garage 59, the multiple championship-winning team, will run McLaren's LMGT3 campaign in the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2026, replacing United Autosports as the programme's operator.
The British team will run two McLaren 720S EVO GT3s in the series, alongside their existing programme in GT World Challenge Europe, in which they have competed with McLaren machinery for multiple seasons.
United Autosports, meanwhile, will take a year out of WEC to prepare for their impending Hypercar programme with McLaren in 2027. The team's IMSA LMP2 programme will continue into next year, as will their efforts in the 2025/2026 Asian Le Mans Series and in the 2026 European Le Mans Series.
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The team also hopes to race in the LMP2 class at Le Mans next year, subject to approval by the ACO.
For Garage 59, this means their operations will move to a new state of the art facility in Northampton, in the UK. This will provide more space for the expanding team, now running major programmes in two global championships.
Garage 59 enter WEC with championship-winning history in GTWC Europe. Shane van Gisbergen, Rob Bell and Côme Ledogar took the drivers' title in 2016 at the wheel of a McLaren 650S GT3. Multiple other championships in pro-am classes have also been won the team since then, in 2020 and 2022, plus a British GT championship win in 2024.
Motorsport 'intrinsic' to McLaren Automotive
'We are proud to be partnering with McLaren on the world stage,' said Andrew Kirkaldy, Garage 59 team principal.
'Competing in the WEC with two McLaren GT3 cars 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.'
Meanwhile, United Autosports CEO Richard Dean said: 'It is truly an honour to race in the WEC, so this is not a decision we have taken lightly.
'But when you have the opportunity to race in Hypercar and form a team with McLaren Racing with the goal to compete for outright victory in the championship, including Le Mans ... that is something we have worked for, fought for ... dreamed of ... for years, so we are doing everything in our power to make it a success.
'I would like to thank WEC for their support, and wish Garage 59 and McLaren Automotive the best of luck next season in LMGT3. We will be back on the grid in 2027 as part of the McLaren United AS WEC Hypercar Team and we can’t wait.'
And, finally, McLaren Automotive CEO Nick Collins said: '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.'
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Feature image: SRO / JEP