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McLaren Continues Points-Winning Performance in FIA World Endurance Championship's Return to Texas
McLaren Automotive and their racing partner, United Autosports, continued their impressive points-winning streak with the McLaren GT3 EVO at the Lone Star Le Mans, the sixth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). Held at the challenging 3.4-mile, 20-corner Circuit of the Americas (COTA) near Austin, Texas, the race marked the return of the WEC to the US track since 2020. Amid scorching temperatures of up to 35 degrees Celsius, the endurance race tested the limits of both cars and drivers.
Qualifying and Race Highlights: A Strong Show of Pace
The McLaren GT3 EVOs showed solid pace throughout the weekend. James Cottingham secured a spot in the Hyperpole session after finishing ninth in a busy qualifying round, where he ultimately set the seventh fastest time. Meanwhile, teammate Josh Caygill narrowly missed the Hyperpole, placing eleventh in qualifying.
Both McLaren cars had a clean start to the race, with Caygill making significant progress in the #95 car, moving up several positions to finish the opening lap just behind Cottingham's #59 car in eighth place. Throughout the six-hour event, the #59 frequently ran within the top three positions as various pit stop strategies unfolded, showcasing the team’s strategic prowess. With minimal Full Course Yellow periods, the race was marked by close, wheel-to-wheel action, keeping the competition fierce and dynamic.
In the final 45 minutes, the #59 car, driven by Gregoire Saucy, made a strong push towards the podium. Despite a valiant effort and a fresh set of tyres, the car finished in fourth place, a mere 7.4 seconds shy of a podium finish. The #95 car, driven by Marino Sato, crossed the line in seventh place, even after serving a drive-through penalty on the penultimate lap, underscoring the resilience and determination of the team.
Looking Ahead to Fuji: Building on Momentum
As the WEC season progresses, McLaren and United Autosports are setting their sights on the penultimate round at the Fuji Speedway in Japan on September 15. Richard Dean, CEO of United Autosports, expressed his optimism: “James Cottingham, Gregoire Saucy, Nicolas Costa, and the #59 crew have delivered another solid result today with P4. And while it feels frustrating to be so close to the podium again, everybody should be really proud. We are fighting for LMGT3 podiums, we have the pace for LMGT3 podiums, and we are taking on world-class teams and drivers.”
Mick McDonagh, Director of MSO & Motorsport at McLaren Automotive, also praised the team’s efforts, saying, “A fourth and seventh place finish demonstrates our consistency and earns more championship points, providing us with another positive weekend of racing. We celebrated our first WEC podium finish in Brazil and came close here in Austin. The team now moves on to the penultimate round of the season in Japan, where we will continue to push for those podium places.”
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