McLaren Complete Imola Test With New WEC Hypercar That Exceeds F1 Rules

McLaren have been putting their brand new hypercar through its paces at Imola, the former home of Formula 1’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
The British outfit competes across multiple racing series around the world, with ambitions to replicate the success they have achieved in Formula 1, where they are regarded as the second most successful team of all time.
After recently departing Formula E, McLaren are preparing to join the World Endurance Championship, a move driven by CEO Zak Brown’s desire to return to the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The team will compete in the WEC using their new MCL-HY GTR hypercar, which they hope can deliver a first Le Mans victory since 1995.
The MCL-HY GTR recently completed a test run at the Imola circuit in Italy, marking a significant milestone for the new programme.
Drivers Laurens Vanthoor and Ben Hanley shared driving duties across what had been scheduled as a four-hour test session at the Italian venue.
However, the outing was cut short after less than three hours when a technical problem brought the session to an abrupt end before its planned completion.
A road-legal variant of the MCL-HY GTR is also available for purchase, featuring a modified specification that differs from the WEC-specification machine.
On this road variant, the racing hybrid system is removed, with around 730PS produced from the internal combustion engine, which exceeds the regulated 707PS permitted in WEC competition.
No purchase price has been confirmed for the road car as yet, though Brown has spoken publicly about his pride in sharing the team’s WEC journey with fans.
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said: “McLaren Racing now has three race cars ready to contest the biggest motorsport series in the world; Formula 1, IndyCar and WEC.”
Brown continued: “This means McLaren, its partners, customers and fans can challenge for the triple crown of Monaco GP, Indy 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans together – a unique cross-series story that sets us apart.”
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