McLaren and United Autosports Gear Up for 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship with New Designs and Team Line-up
McLaren Automotive and its Racing Partner, United Autosports, launch into its second FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) season with an updated livery and driver ensemble for its two McLaren GT3 EVO cars. This collaboration seeks to enhance its competitive performance and commemorate the 30th anniversary of McLaren’s legendary win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
2024 McLaren debuted in the WEC in the newly introduced LM GT3 class. Their McLaren GT3 EVO cars showcased a race-winning capability. They achieved the first LM GT3 class front-row lockout during the Bahrain qualifying and secured a podium finish in Brazil, culminating in a top-ten championship finish.
This season also witnessed a nostalgic return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with cars numbered 59 and 95, paying homage to the 1995-winning McLaren F1 GTR. This year marks three decades since McLaren's memorable first victory with one of the most iconic endurance racing cars.
Previously racing in colours aligned with McLaren Racing’s Formula 1, IndyCar, and Formula E liveries, the 2025 season sees McLaren-United Autosports adopting more of McLaren’s distinctive Papaya colour. This colour highlights the aerodynamic prowess of the McLaren GT3 EVO design. The hood, splitter, and rear wing now feature Papaya, while the side view reveals Papaya on the door blade and lower bodywork, emphasising the airflow towards the rear diffuser.
James Cottingham from Britain and Gregoire Saucy from Switzerland, who piloted the 59 car to ninth in last year’s standings, are joined by French driver Sébastien Baud for the 2025 season. Baud returns for his second WEC season after a podium finish in Bahrain during his debut year.
The 95 car, which achieved a podium finish in Brazil, will see Japan’s Marino Sato teaming up with Briton Darren Leung and Indonesian Sean Gelael. Leung, a former WEC race winner and champion in the GT World Challenge Sprint Cup and British GT, joins Gelael, who enters his fifth WEC season after securing four race wins, including one alongside Leung last year, and finishing as championship runner-up twice.
The 2025 WEC season kicks off in Qatar on February 28. It will span eight rounds, including races in Imola, Spa-Francorchamps, and Le Mans in Europe. Then, it will move to Sao Paulo and Texas in the Americas and conclude with rounds in Japan and Bahrain in November.
“It’s a particularly special year to compete in the WEC with McLaren, and our 2025 livery is a celebration of that,” says Richard Dean, CEO of United Autosports. “This season is about building on solid foundations, winning races, and aiming for the championship title, all in a distinctly McLaren car.”
“As we have now demonstrated the McLaren GT3 EVO’s speed and reliability at the highest level of competition, we enter the new season ready to vie for the WEC title with our Racing Partner United Autosports,” remarks Michael Leiters, CEO of McLaren Automotive. “Racing is embedded in the DNA of all our supercars, and the WEC, centred around the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans, provides the perfect competitive platform for our continued success this year.”
