McLaren Endurance Racing Signs Mikkel Jensen for Hypercar Entry
January 15, 2026McLaren Endurance Racing, who will enter the FIA World Endurance Championship in the Hypercar class in 2027, has announced that Mikkel Jensen will join the team as its first driver signing.
McLaren’s Return to Top-Tier Endurance Racing
McLaren first announced its intention to return to the top tier of endurance racing in April 2025. Run in collaboration with United Autosports, its entry, the McLaren United AS WEC Hypercar, was revealed at the 2025 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Designed by McLaren, the car will be built by Dallara and powered by a V6 twin-turbo engine.
Mikkel Jensen: From Karts to WEC Hypercar Veteran
31-year-old Dane Mikkel Jensen began karting at the age of 15. He made his debut in ADAC Formal Masters in 2013 and graduated to the FIA Formula 3 European Championship in 2015.
Jensen began his sportscar racing career in 2016 when, alongside Mikkel Mac and Johnny Laursen, he drove the Formula Racing Ferrari 458 to a second-place finish at Le Castellet.
With a CV that has seen the Dane drive for over a dozen teams across the globe, Jensen took the LMP3 European Le Mans Series title with Eurointernational in 2019 and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship LMP2 crown with PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports in 2021.
Peugeot Hypercar Experience & 2025 Standings
Jensen has significant Hypercar experience with Peugeot TotalEnergies, having joined the team to drive the #93 Peugeot 9X8 at Monza when the Satory-based squad entered the WEC in 2022. With teammates Paul Di Resta and Jean-Éric Vergne, Jensen finished 12th in the 2025 FIA Hypercar World Endurance Drivers Championship.
Jensen: “Goosebumps at McLaren Technology Centre”
“I’m extremely proud to be joining the World Championship-winning McLaren family and excited to be part of its Hypercar programme from the early stages,” said Mikkel Jensen. “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.”
For McLaren Endurance Racing’s Team Principal James Barclay, the signing of Jensen represents a significant step forward as the team prepares for 2027.
“Announcing Mikkel is another important milestone in the formation of our new Hypercar team,” he said. “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.
James Barclay: “A Driver of Calibre and Future Potential”
“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.”
After announcing its first commercial partnerships for the Hypercar programme, the team now has 14 months before the 2027 FIA WEC grid will assemble for the season prologue.
