Lando Norris Eyes Le Mans as McLaren Builds Its Hypercar

McLaren is preparing to return to the top class of endurance racing in 2027, and its Formula 1 world champion Lando Norris says he would like to race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans at some point.

The car

The McLaren MCL-HY is a twin-turbo V6 hypercar built for the FIA World Endurance Championship. It made its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July with Norris behind the wheel, and he later completed 38 laps in a private test in Portugal alongside sportscar drivers Mikkel Jensen and Laurens Vanthoor. The programme is being run with United Autosports.

Why it matters for McLaren

McLaren won Le Mans on its first attempt in 1995 with the F1 GTR. Team boss Zak Brown has spoken about the Triple Crown of motorsport, which combines the Monaco Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500 and Le Mans. A Le Mans win would complete that set for the team's modern era.

Will Norris race?

For now it is a hope rather than a plan. Norris joked about a possible pairing with MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi, but a busy Formula 1 calendar makes an immediate entry unlikely. The team has said it is waiting for the 2027 race calendars before settling its driver line-ups.

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Sources: Motorsport.com, Crash.net, Speedcafe.