Why Vanthoor sees more upside than risk in swapping Porsche for McLaren

Laurens Vanthoor believes he’s landed the “dream ticket” program for 2027 and beyond. He’ll be splitting duties between an IMSA GTP Endurance Cup campaign with Porsche Penske Motorsport and a full-season FIA World Endurance Championship effort with McLaren Racing in 2027, before becoming a full-time McLaren driver once his Porsche contract expires in 2028.

It’s a major signing for McLaren, which has landed one of sports car racing’s most accomplished factory drivers as it builds its Hypercar program around a stated goal of winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans overall and a first FIA world championship outside of Formula 1. But it’s also a significant gamble for Vanthoor, who is leaving the stability of an established Porsche operation to join a program still in its early stages.

“Talks started near the end of last year,” he tells RACER. “Probably somewhere in October, November, and the trigger was the announcement that Porsche was leaving WEC and not going to be in Le Mans. I felt it coming before that announcement, and that was around the time I started speaking with McLaren.”

At 35, Vanthoor’s résumé - which beyond his WEC title, includes wins at the 24 races at Daytona, the Nürburing and Spa, plus the 12-hour classics at Sebring and Bathurst - makes him one of the most sought-after drivers in endurance racing. He admits there was no shortage of interest from manufacturers already competing in Hypercar. But for him, McLaren stood out from the crowd.

“I must admit, there was a lot of interest, but McLaren was the brand that appealed to me most, and the option I pursued from the beginning,” he explains. “When McLaren announced they were going to join WEC and race at Le Mans in Hypercar, I found it interesting.

“I went to Woking, I walked through the boulevard, I saw the history, and the little child in me started to smile. It’s why I do this, it’s why I dreamed about being in motorsport, because of names like McLaren and its cars. And as they’re in the WEC, it has an appeal. Le Mans is the big goal for me now. I’ve been lucky to win so many big races and titles in my career, and the only major endurance race missing is that one.

“It was a career goal and dream to join Porsche Penske, and I never thought about leaving. But for me, if I race for another brand, I have to be proud to be wearing the badge on my chest. It’s something I have with Porsche Penske, and it’s something you have with a brand like McLaren.”

Another major draw was the leadership group McLaren has assembled for its endurance effort, including CEO Zak Brown, endurance program boss James Barclay (main image, with Vanthoor) and the management structure behind United Autosports, led by Richard Dean and Max Gregory.

“The conversations I had with James at the beginning were very positive, honest and straightforward. It felt right,” he adds. “I have a good honest relationship with everyone already and there’s multiple other people involved in the project who are giving me a positive feeling.”

Laurens Vanthoor already has a 24 Hour win under his belt as part of Porsche Penske's 2025 Rolex-winning line-up. Now, he has his sights on helping McLaren win Le Mans. James Gilbert/Getty Images

Vanthoor also welcomed the chance to share the program with Mikkel Jensen, McLaren’s first confirmed Hypercar signing — though not entirely for competitive reasons.

“I said to James that Mikkel would be the perfect teammate to me, because he’s a talented driver and he’s gluten free, like I am, and loves his food. So dinner plans will be easy!” he grins.

The forthcoming arrangement for 2027 and the transition process, however, is far from straightforward and involves a lot of moving pieces.

Vanthoor’s long-term future, ultimately, is with McLaren. Though it’s notable that there could be discussions about extending his Porsche Penske Motorsport role if the Porsche GTP effort continues beyond 2027 and McLaren’s planned expansion into IMSA is delayed.

He is expected to join development work on the MCL-HY test program soon, and there is also potential for future appearances in McLaren GT3 machinery, although no detailed plans have been finalized for GT racing commitments.

For the deal to happen before his Porsche contract officially ends, both manufacturers had to agree on a complicated compromise that allows Vanthoor to maintain ties with Porsche while beginning work with a rival brand in McLaren.

“I have a contract with Porsche, and a commitment with Porsche that I wish to honor,” Vanthoor says. “So to continue with Porsche next year and compete at the big IMSA races is a no-brainer. But there is give and take, and Porsche and McLaren had to agree on so many things to make it work, some of which were out of my control and made for a weird situation. So I have to be grateful that they are allowing me to pursue my dream like this.

“I said to my wife a couple of months ago when it became clearer things were happening, and one day we were in Mooresville, then two days later I was at McLaren, I sat in the hotel room and said to her: ‘This is a hard situation to top. It might be impossible to top.’ It can’t get any better as a driver. It’s a dream come true.

“But it wasn’t easy to get here. There were many sleepless nights. because it was all positive and going in the right direction, but with these things, it’s not in your hands. So it was quite a big relief when it was all finalized.”