Laurens Vanthoor joins McLaren’s 2027 WEC programme on Porsche loan deal

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Laurens Vanthoor will race for McLaren’s new Hypercar team in the 2027 World Endurance Championship while remaining under contract with Porsche through the end of that season.

The Belgian was named as the second driver for the McLaren MCL-HY project on Friday, just days after its first signing Mikkel Jensen shook down the car for the first time in Italy.

The deal will ensure Vanthoor will return to the WEC next year after Porsche’s decision to scale down its 963 LMDh programme left him without a seat at the Le Mans 24 Hours for the first time since 2017.

Vanthoor will combine his newly announced WEC duties with a reduced involvement in the IMSA SportsCar Championship, contesting only the Michelin Endurance Cup rounds as a third driver for Porsche Penske Motorsport.

A statement from McLaren said that Vanthoor’s tenure with Porsche will “conclude” after 2027, the final year of his contract, potentially opening the door for a full-time move elsewhere beyond that point.

“I’ve been fortunate to be in the right position to win many major sports car races, but I’ve made no secret that, in recent years, everything I do is geared towards an overall win at Le Mans. I’m not even joking when I say it keeps me awake at night,” said 2024 Hypercar champion Vanthoor.

“We came so close last year and, when the Porsche Penske Motorsport WEC programme ended, I had to consider which team on the grid could give me the best chance of winning.

“For me, the choice was clearly McLaren Racing. They are at the top of their game in Formula 1 and IndyCar, and I believe the same will be true in WEC. They are as obsessed with winning as I am and, together, we’ll do what it takes.

“I’d also like to thank everyone at Porsche for an incredible decade of racing, I am fully committed to finishing our journey together with more trophies, and I am grateful for your support in helping me to chase my dream.”