McLaren Triumphs with Historic Pole at Le Mans, Showcasing GT3 EVO's Dominance
McLaren made a triumphant return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, seizing a historic pole position and demonstrating leading pace. The McLaren GT3 EVO has impressed in its debut season in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).
United Autosports fielded two full-season entries, joined by a third McLaren GT3 EVO from Inception Racing, which secured an invitational entry. This fulfilled Bronze driver Brendan Iribe's long-held dream to race a McLaren at Le Mans. Iribe, a US driver, debuted in racing five years ago in the Pure McLaren GT Series, the precursor to the McLaren Trophy. The Inception team started the weekend in style, progressing to the Hyperpole shootout for the eight fastest cars in each class. Despite disruptions during the Hyperpole session, Iribe excelled, clinching pole position by nearly a second ahead of his closest rival, positioning the McLaren GT3 EVO at the forefront of the LMGT3 starting grid.
In front of a record 329,000 spectators, the Inception Racing McLaren GT3 EVO led for the first hour, with Dane Fred Schandorff taking the initial driving stint. Iribe took over after 90 minutes, just as rain began to fall. The team opted for wet tyres, with Ollie Millroy taking the wheel. However, as the track started to dry, they had to pit again for slick tyres, which dropped them to 14th position.
Meanwhile, the two United Autosports entries made significant progress through the field, breaking into the top ten in the second hour. Their positions fluctuated throughout the race, but they remained strong contenders.
Six hours in, a spin and collision with the barrier delayed Inception's race, necessitating a radiator replacement. Quick work by the mechanics limited the delay to 28 minutes, but it ended their fight for the class victory.
The United Autosports cars continued to advance during the night. After a lengthy safety car period, the race order varied over the next few hours, with both vehicles frequently leading their class and, , running first and second at one point.
A heavy rainstorm during the night led to another prolonged safety car intervention before the race resumed on Sunday morning. Despite running at the front, the #95 United Autosports car made an unscheduled stop just before midday and retired from the race.
The #59 car, also in podium contention and having led the race, stopped on track and could not be recovered to the pits. This left the #70 Inception car still in the race, finishing 24 hours in 13th place in its class.
“The weekend was full of ups and downs. Le Mans is a demanding race filled with emotion," said Brendan Iribe, 2024 Le Mans LMGT3 Pole winner. "Starting the week by achieving pole position, something I never dreamed of, felt like a victory. The race was long and challenging, but crossing the finish line was a proud moment for the team. From starting in the Pure McLaren series to achieving McLaren's first pole at Le Mans, it is a dream come true. We made history. McLaren is back!”
“A race on a knife edge from start to finish. Twenty-four-hour races are challenging, especially with the weather and track conditions,” said Richard Dean, CEO of United Autosports. "In LMGT3, we battled hard against established teams and manufacturers. Despite the retirements, I am incredibly proud of everyone. The entire United Autosports and McLaren Automotive team and the LMGT3 drivers have been fantastic to work with.”
“Congratulations to Brendan Iribe and Inception Racing for completing the 24 hours. Qualifying a McLaren on pole at Le Mans after our return is phenomenal, and we are proud to have made his dream a reality,” said Michael Leiters, CEO of McLaren Automotive. "Seeing the United Autosports McLaren GT3 EVOs lead after 125 laps amid changing conditions reaffirms our performance and determination to win. We will build on this strong performance."
