McLaren Dominates 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship with Stellar Performance
McLaren Automotive achieved remarkable success during the first qualifying round of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship. After dominating with the first manufacturer front row lockout in the LMGT3 era at Bahrain last year, Racing Partner United Autosports mirrored this achievement in Qatar, securing McLaren’s third WEC pole position. Since the inception of the LMGT3 class in 2024, McLaren has secured one-third of all available pole positions.
Both McLaren cars started flawlessly in the 1812km race, effortlessly maintaining the top three positions. James Cottingham overtook Darren Leung in the number 95 car within the first hour and maintained a solid lead for most of his four-stint drive in the #59 McLaren GT3 EVO.
After the driver changeover in the fourth hour, McLaren cars led, with the #59 car ahead until Seb Baud dropped back, giving way to pole winner Sean Gelael to lead the race. The #95 car maintained the lead until a penalty for a pit stop infringement relegated them to seventh place at the finish.
In the #59 car, Grégoire Saucy continued to vie for victory. With only 30 minutes left in the 10-hour race, he narrowed the lead to less than a second, relentlessly pressuring the leader but ultimately unable to overtake or force an error. Saucy finished a mere 0.493 seconds behind, marking McLaren’s best finish yet in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Richard Dean, CEO of United Autosports, commented, “The season opener in Qatar was powerful for us. Our two cars were immediately competitive, and securing our first podium of the season is a tremendous achievement. Congratulations to James, Gregoire, Seb, and the #59 team. Achieving second place in the world championship is a significant feat. The #95 team also had an excellent week, with Darren and Sean securing top positions in qualifying. Despite a disappointing race end, we are optimistic for Imola in the coming weeks.”
Director of Motorsport at McLaren Automotive, added, “The final twenty minutes were taut as Grégoire pressed the leader hard, nearly clinching victory. Darren and Sean’s debut poles are also a cause for celebration. Our team’s performance throughout the weekend speaks volumes about the dedicated efforts of our Woking engineering team and everyone at United Autosports during the off-season. Scoring consistently is key to championship success, and we’ve started strongly.”
The second round of the FIA WEC will take place at the Imola circuit in Italy on the 20th April.
