The competition in the World Endurance Championship is set to intensify next year, with Ford and McLaren entering the Hypercar division with their respective LMDh prototypes.
Assuming all current manufacturers remain on the grid next year, the 2027 Le Mans 24 Hours will feature a 10-way battle for outright glory.
Both Ford and McLaren have been developing their new cars for more than a year and are already well into their preparations ahead of their WEC debuts.
Although neither has contested the top category of sportscar racing in decades, both boast rich Le Mans pedigrees. Ford won the French endurance classic four times on the trot between 1966-69, ending Ferrari’s stranglehold at La Sarthe. McLaren, meanwhile, took a famous victory with the F1 GTR on its debut in 1995, defeating purpose-built prototypes in a rain-soaked race.
Here is a look at where the two manufacturers stand with the development of their upcoming hypercars.
Ford
Car: Unnamed
Regulations: LMDh
Chassis partner: Oreca
Engine: 5.4-litre Coyote V8; spec hybrid system
Ford reached a major milestone with the development of its as-yet-unnamed hypercar this month by firing up its V8 engine for the first time. This wasn’t a conventional dyno test. Instead, a fully built-up car, complete with the spec hybrid system, was brought to life at Oreca’s factory in France.
With the integration between the chassis and the power unit now complete, Ford will finally begin on-track testing in August, with a number of circuits in Europe earmarked for this purpose.
The programme will therefore have around seven months of track running before the opening round of the 2027 WEC season in Qatar next March.
Initial running will be carried out with a single chassis, but Ford plans to introduce a second test car later, mirroring the approach undertaken by other manufacturers. The final phase of the development will take place in North America.
While Ford may be relatively behind McLaren in terms of on-track testing, it has already firmed up its entire line-up for 2027. It announced its first batch of drivers in mid-January, signing Le Mans winner Mike Rockenfeller, rising talent Sebastian Priaulx and former Formula 1 driver Logan Sargeant. In June, it added IMSA stars Tom Blomqvist, Nick Yelloly and Matt Campbell to its roster.
Ford’s LMDh project is headed by Dan Sayers, who previously worked with Aston Martin/Prodrive and Red Bull Racing.
Timeline of events:
January 2025: Ford commits to Le Mans return
June 2025: Partners with Oreca and signs Dan Sayers from Red Bull Powertrains to lead the project
September 2025: Announces LMDh programme will be run in-house
January 2026: Signs Rockenfeller, Priaulx and Sargeant
January 2026: Reveals engine spec: 5.4-litre Coyote V8 and spec hybrid unit
June 2026: Completes driver line-up with Blomqvist, Yelloly and Campbell
July 2026: Completes car build and fires up engine for the first time
McLaren
Car: McLaren MCL-HY
Regulations: LMDh
Chassis partner: Dallara
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6; spec hybrid system
The development of the McLaren MCL-HY is on track, with the British manufacturer having already completed several tests with its Dallara LMP2-based LMDh prototype.
McLaren also briefly interrupted its testing programme to send the MCL-HY to the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it made its public debut in the hands of United Autosports’ Gregoire Saucy and reigning F1 champion Lando Norris.
The final colour scheme for the car is yet to be revealed, with all running so far conducted in a special Bruce McLaren tribute livery.
More testing is planned in the coming months, as McLaren and United Autosports continue to hone the car prior to its homologation at the Windshear wind tunnel in the US.
In terms of the driver line-up, McLaren has so far announced only two names: former Peugeot ace Mikkel Jensen and 2024 Hypercar champion Laurens Vanthoor, who joins on loan from Porsche. However, McLaren has been able to utilise several other drivers for testing, including Gregoire Saucy, Richard Verschoor and Ben Hanley.
Work also continues at the McLaren Technology Centre, with a new driver-in-the-loop simulator built by Dynisma being installed recently.
The McLaren Hypercar team is led by James Barclay, who joined the squad in September last year after guiding Jaguar to championship glory in Formula E. Barclay also played a role in Bentley's victorious 2003 Le Mans effort.
Timeline of events
April 2025: McLaren commits to Hypercar entry
June 2025: Names United Autosports as partner, joins forces with Dallara for chassis
January 2026: Signs Jensen as first driver
January 2026: Fires up engine on dyno
May 2026: MCL-HY officially revealed in special testing livery
May 2026: Successful roll-out in Italy; test programme begins
May 2026: Porsche loans Vanthoor to McLaren for 2027
July 2026: Car makes public debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed
