'We’re back'. A wonderfully short statement from McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown in April 2025 confirmed that the manufacturer was returning to the pinnacle of endurance racing—the 24 Hours of Le Mans. McLaren Racing is one of the only teams to have completed the Triple Crown of motorsport by winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Monaco Grand Prix, and Indianapolis 500—something the team hopes to replicate when it enters the premier class of the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Penned by the great Gordon Coppuck, the M16 IndyCar snared three wins in the Indy 500 to kick-start McLaren’s historic accomplishment. Mark Donohue claimed the first for McLaren as a customer team in 1972, driving a Penske-entered McLaren M16B. McLaren’s first Indy 500 win as a Works outfit came at the hands of Johnny Rutherford in 1974, a feat he repeated in 1976. Counting 16 victories around the principality’s streets, McLaren is the most successful team at the Monaco Grand Prix—a triumphant record ignited by Alain Prost aboard the MP4/2 in 1984.

The “Triple Crown” was then famously achieved in 1995 by the McLaren F1 GTR, a lightly adapted version of the revered road car, on McLaren’s 24 Hours of Le Mans debut. A three-pronged driver line-up of Yannick Dalmas, Masanori Sekiya, and JJ Lehto guided the Lanzante-run #59 machine to 1st place on the GTR’s maiden Circuit de la Sarthe visit.

A RETURN TO LE MANS

Three decades after the F1 GTR’s historic victory in Le Mans, McLaren Racing unveiled its 2027 challenger, which will contest the 2027 FIA World Endurance Championship. Featuring a chassis produced by Dallara, powered by a hybrid V-6 twin-turbo engine, the challenger will be run by McLaren United AS team.

RM Sotheby’s is delighted, in collaboration with McLaren Racing, to offer one of the LMDh Hypercars for public auction at the Abu Dhabi sale on 5 December.

Following the conclusion of the 2027 season, the winning bidder will take delivery directly from the factory of their Hypercar in its season livery at the end of the first quarter of 2028. Soon to proudly wear a chassis tag inscribed with the new owner’s name, the LMDh challenger will be handed over in race-ready condition and supplied with all necessary running gear. A firm highlight of any collection, the car may also be used on track in accordance with prescribed standard of operational and technical management as well as the FIA/ACO/IMSA LMDh regulations and mandatory requirements. The owner will be invited to participate in McLaren Pure driving events. The winning bidder will enter into a Sales Contract directly with McLaren Racing, which requires the bidder’s review prior to bidding at the auction; and, in conjunction with the review of the Bidder’s Conditions of Business for this lot, the bidder must complete the Bidder’s Participation Contract for this lot prior to bidding at the auction. Bidders should note that the images used to illustrate this catalogue description are speculative renders and subject to change.

The buyer will not only count themselves as the owner of the WEC Hypercar but will also receive a book dedicated to the selected chassis, which will document its on-track history. An autographed race suit as worn by one of the yet-to-be-announced McLaren United AS drivers will also be included.

Furthermore, the winning bidder will receive four VIP tickets and a hospitality experience at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2026, alongside a hospitality experience for two persons at that year’s Monaco Grand Prix and Indianapolis 500. Then, while their future car writes its motorsport legacy as the calendar unfolds, they will also receive two hospitality tickets for all rounds of the 2027 FIA WEC campaign. Additionally, featured as part of this remarkable lot is a private tour of the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, plus access to purchase future special-edition McLaren cars. For a complete breakdown of the incredible extras, please speak to an RM Sotheby’s representative.

With the 2026 McLaren Formula 1 Team MCL40A and 2026 Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team car also offered in this extraordinary sale, those who share the team’s entrenched motorsport passion have an unprecedented opportunity to own a major part of McLaren Racing’s quest for a repeat of its Triple Crown feat.