McLaren’s renewed and refreshed GT3 programme gets off to a strong start in the debut race of the 2024 season of the World Endurance Championship. It’s a crucial time too, as a proving ground for their debut and first entry into the WEC. Along with its partner, United Autosports, the pair of McLaren GT3 EVO cars scored a double finish, showcasing a good, strong pace.
Both cars, the number 59 car and number 95 car, collectively completed 568 laps in the Qatar 1,812km race, held at the Lusail International Circuit. Even before the race started, there were already signs that McLaren and the GT3 EVO could dominate the LMGT3 field. Gregoire Saucy posted the fastest time in the LMGT3 class, in the #59 car, leading up to the actual race.
A Strong Debut Race For McLaren
Then, Nico Pino, in the #95 car, topped timesheets one after the other in the practice sessions. In qualifying, both McLaren GT3 EVOs, once again, managed highly competitive times, which allowed both entrants to get into the top ten of the 37-car grid. Even after the #59 car was hit from behind just as the lights went out, its drivers kept their heads down, and continued.
On the other hand, the #95 car fared much better at the start of the race, avoiding the drama that had occurred early on. Once the race, drivers, and cars settled in for a long race, both the McLaren GT3 EVOs maintained great progress, despite some other on-track incidents by then, before being able to record the 4th fastest time in the LMGT3 class by car #95. Not bad at all.
1,912 Miles And 10 Hours Of Racing
Car #95 crossed the line in P13, just ahead of car #59, with both cars driving a total distance of 1,912 miles, after a long, hard-fought 9 hours and 55 minutes of wheel-to-wheel racing. The gains from Qatar weren’t just a pretty strong initial start and good momentum to carry on to the rest of the WEC 2024 calendar, but McLaren earned valuable data in the process, too.
While it’s no grand 1-2 finish, McLaren’s partners, United Autosports were also pleased with the progress, hoping that all this experience and mileage may yield better results later in the season. They have good cars, drivers, and a robust team, now heading onwards to Italy, with the 6 Hours of Imola up next on the WEC 2024 calendar, lights out on this coming April 21st.
