WEC: The McLaren team successfully tests the hypercar MCL-HY

      The day and hour are getting closer when the McLaren Hypercar Team will present its latest sports prototype, the MCL-HY, to the FIA for homologation, which will compete in the World Endurance Championship in the LMDh category next year. Meanwhile, tests are ongoing; last week, the team worked at Silverstone, once again confirming that everything is moving in the right direction, and the pace of progress is even higher than expected.

      The main takeaway from the summer testing program is that the car successfully completed a 30-hour endurance test, similar to what it will face in competitive conditions during the Le Mans marathon in 2027. This test was conducted earlier by the team led by James Barkley at the Motorland Aragon racetrack in Spain.

      As the technology is generally reliable, the McLaren Hypercar Team can now focus on the efficiency and speed of the hypercar. "We have already covered many kilometers," Barkley confirmed in an interview with Racer, although he did not provide exact figures or say how many test sessions have taken place since the initial rollout of the car in May. "We conducted the planned 30-hour tests, and it was great. In fact, they lasted even longer, meaning the program was exceeded.

      The team worked as if participating in a race. There were moments when we stopped and conducted checks because we wanted to avoid any serious breakdowns. We made short stops, checked everything, and then returned to the track, all of this over 30 hours."

      The MCL-HY hypercar is based on a proven Dallara chassis, but many key components and systems are developed and manufactured by McLaren, including a 2.9-liter V6 engine with twin turbos and aerodynamic bodywork. "You can conduct bench tests, but that's not enough," Barkley continued. "You need to find out if all systems can handle the loads when your car attacks curbs during the race distance. We are now at the stage of testing where we are determining the durability of various parts of the hypercar.

      You could say the tests are going well, but not all questions have been answered, and there is no complete confidence. The purpose of conducting 30-hour tests at such an early stage was to find out what level we have already reached. Some minor issues are arising, but that's normal; it was to be expected. We are making some small changes to the design – for example, it could be about some fastenings or components of the cooling system."

      During the tests in Aragon, factory drivers Mikkel Jensen and Laurent Wauters piloted the car, but they were also assisted by Ben Henley, Grégoire Soares, and Richard Fershor. Jensen and Wauters also conducted tests at Silverstone.

      An important point is that since July, a new simulator has been operating at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, specifically designed for the hypercar testing program, which the McLaren Hypercar Team drivers are using.

      Everyone in the team understands that McLaren needs to catch up with the factory teams of Toyota, Ferrari, Cadillac, and BMW, which have long been competing in the WEC, and this applies to literally all areas, but primarily to the software. However, this work is also progressing quite successfully.

      "We are indeed in good shape," James Barkley summarized. "The foundation is solid, everything is on schedule, and importantly, we are not hindered by any delays. There is still a lot of work ahead, but our drivers have satisfied smiles on their faces – they understand that the car has great potential.

      However, for now, all of this means little, as we can only truly judge what we have achieved after the green light on the pit lane turns on, and we conduct a couple of initial qualifications and races. But there are already signs that we are succeeding."