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Hypercar Promotion for 2027
Grégoire Saucy has secured a full-time race seat with the McLaren Hypercar Team for the 2027 FIA World Endurance Championship season. The 26-year-old Swiss driver earns the promotion by graduating from the McLaren Driver Development Programme following a season of testing and development with the manufacturer's new MCL-HY Hypercar. The appointment marks an important step in McLaren's preparations to return to top-level endurance racing, with the new prototype set to make its competitive debut in the WEC and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
MCL-HY Testing Role
Saucy has been heavily involved in the programme since the MCL-HY first rolled out at Varano, Italy, on 4 May. Selected alongside fellow McLaren works driver Mikkel Jensen as one of two drivers for that initial running, he attended all but one of the team's development tests. In addition to private evaluation sessions, Saucy drove the car during its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, appearing alongside then-reigning Formula 1 World Champion Lando Norris.
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His promotion follows an equally successful campaign in the European Le Mans Series with United Autosports, where Saucy and his teammates secured the championship title last month with two victories and five podium finishes across the six-round season. Saucy previously built an endurance racing career after dominating the 2021 Formula Regional European Championship with eight wins, later competing in the WEC in 2024 and 2025 in a McLaren 720 LMGT3 Evo. Those performances earned him a place in the McLaren Driver Development Programme and provided a pathway to the manufacturer's new Hypercar project.
Saucy on Hypercar Opportunity
Reflecting on the appointment, Saucy stated that he was "over the moon to be given this opportunity." He explained that when he joined the McLaren Hypercar Team for its development season, he hoped it might lead to a full-time race seat, though he knew there was a great deal of experienced talent in the driver market. Saucy noted that he stayed focused, worked hard, and adapted quickly to the MCL-HY. He added that he loved every second with the team, praising the high standards, supportive personnel, and fantastic atmosphere, while thanking Zak for introducing him to the development scheme and James for trusting him with the drive.
Barclay on Driver Development Pathway
McLaren Hypercar Team Principal James Barclay praised Saucy's progress throughout the development programme, highlighting that the promotion illustrates what the programme is designed to achieve in identifying exceptional talent, supporting development, and creating a genuine pathway to a works race seat. Barclay noted that Saucy impressed the team throughout the MCL-HY test programme with his pace, methodical approach, and progress over an intensive testing schedule, adding that the team is excited to see him take the next step in his career with McLaren.
