Hiroshi Hamaguchi will be driving alongside Marino Sato and a driver yet to be announced when the #95 United Autosports McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo contests the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.
Hamaguchi will replace Josh Caygill who is the regular pilot of the #95 McLaren alongside Sato and Nicolás Pino.
The 47-year-old Tokyo-based driver has been competing in GT3 machinery since 2010 when he contested the Super GT GT300 class with Apple K-ONE Shiden with teammates Hiroki Katoh and Kazuho Takahashi. Katoh and Hamaguchi took the GT300 win at Okayama in a debut season that saw the duo finish 4th in the class drivers standings. Hamaguchi went on to race in GT contests around the world, including GT Asia, Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, the Asian Le Mans Series, Intercontinental GT Challenge and Le Mans Cup.
In 2023 Hamaguchi competed in selected rounds of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia with The Spirit of FFF Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo in an Am line-up with Mineki Okura and Takuya Shirasaka. Hamaguchi finished 5th in the Am Cup standings following a season which saw him take three wins in class and one further podium.
The Japanese pilot has experience of the Circuit de La Sarthe as twice he has competed in the Road to Le Mans LMP3 and GT3 races at the track. In 2020, partnered by Andrea Caldarelli, Hamaguchi took two wins in the GT3 class.
“I am thrilled to be a part of the McLaren GT programme in the Le Mans 24 Hour race,” said Hamaguchi. “The first time coming back since their memorable victory back in 1995. I have only done GT3 sprint races in La Sarthe but managed to win the race twice which shows I have a good compatibility with the track.
“With the experience of United Autosports, I am confident we will be smiling after the race.”
United Autosports CEO Richard Dean is delighted to welcome Hiroshi Hamaguchi to the team.
“It’s great to welcome Hiroshi to our Le Mans team,” said Richard Dean. “He has a strong history of GT racing, has celebrated GT success with McLaren and wants to make history at Le Mans. We are united in our goals.”
