McLaren makes first WEC signing after 2027 hypercar sold for $7.5million at auction

Danish racer Mikkel Jensen has become the first driver signed by McLaren ahead of the team’s World Endurance Championship entry in 2027.

It comes after McLaren’s yet-to-be-revealed 2027 hypercar was sold at auction for an eye-watering $7,598,750 (£5.6m/€6.4m) last month.

McLaren makes first driver signing for WEC 2027 season

Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust

McLaren announced last year that it is to enter the hypercar class of the WEC in 2027, with the Woking outfit set to compete against F1 rivals Ferrari, Aston Martin, Cadillac and Alpine in the highest tier of endurance racing.

The WEC project will also see the team return to the Le Mans 24 Hours, an event won by McLaren in 1995.

With McLaren already enjoying a presence in F1 and IndyCar, its return to Le Mans will see the team target the so-called Triple Crown of Motorsport on an annual basis from 2027.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to race for McLaren in F1 2026

F1 driver contracts: What is the contract status of every driver on the F1 2026 grid?

Maybe now Lando Norris will realise how good he is

Jensen, 31, has become the first driver to join McLaren’s 2027 WEC assault having represented Peugeot in the hypercar class since 2022.

The Dane previously won the LMP2 class in the United States-based IMSA series in 2021.

Jensen said: “I’m extremely proud to be joining the World Championship-winning McLaren family and excited to be a part of its Hypercar project from the early stages.

“Stepping onto the boulevard at the McLaren Technology Centre gives me goosebumps – it not only brings to life how much history McLaren has in Formula 1 but the 1995 Le Mans-winning F1 GTR reminds me that we have an incredible endurance story to continue.”

James Barclay, the team principal of McLaren Endurance Racing, added: “Announcing Mikkel is another important milestone in the formation of our new Hypercar team.

“He has already proven himself as one of the most competitive and well-rounded sportscar racing drivers in the world and will bring with him a wealth of experience from the Hypercar category.

“We will enter the World Endurance Championship and Le Mans in what will arguably be the most-competitive season of all time.

“We are delighted to have a driver of Mikkel’s calibre, experience and future potential.

“Like us, he is a true racer and is therefore a great fit with our philosophy on people and culture, which has been integral to McLaren Racing’s World Championship-winning success in Formula 1.

“Our World Endurance Championship team is coming together nicely and Mikkel is a fantastic addition.”

Although the car is still in development ahead of the 2027 WEC season, McLaren’s hypercar fetched $7.5m last month after being sold in a special ‘Triple Crown’ auction.

The unusual auction also saw McLaren sell a 2026-spec IndyCar as well as the unreleased MCL40A car, to be driven in competition by reigning world champion Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, in the F1 2026 season.

The IndyCar was sold for $848,750 (£629,195/€720,716) with McLaren’s 2026 F1 car fetching $11,480,000 (£8.5m/€9.7m), making it the sixth-most expensive Formula 1 car to be sold at auction.

The combined sales of the three cars amounted to a final total of $19,927,500.

The winner bidder for the hypercar will receive the WEC machine in the first quarter of 2028, with the new owner’s name set to be inscribed on the chassis tag.

Along with the car, the successful bidder will receive a book dedicated to the selected chassis, which will document the car’s on-track history, as well as a race suit by one of the McLaren WEC drivers in 2027.

Hospitality experiences at the 2026 Le Mans 24 Hours, Monaco Grand Prix and Indianapolis 500 have also been included in the prize, as well as hospitality tickets for every round of the 2027 WEC season and a private tour of the McLaren Technology Centre.

Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.

You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!

Read next: F1 2026 uncovered: The design clues that Red Bull and Racing Bulls renders reveal