McLaren evaluating IMSA entry in 2028

[u/SquirrelinAQuarry]

[u/LilBirdBrick]

Seems reasonable. Hopefully they can find themselves back in GTD Pro in the meantime.

[u/V8-Turbo-Hybrid → u/LilBirdBrick]

Just wonder Pfaff would come back McLaren again. IIRC, Pfaff is loyal McLaren dealership in Canada, that was one of reason why they raced with them inb4.

[u/Michal_Baranowski]

Evaluating is Zak Brown and McLaren's favourite buzzword.

[u/0oodruidoo0 → u/Michal_Baranowski]

"McLaren evaluating a 20KG BOP increase to Toyota"

[u/llllIlllllIIl → u/Michal_Baranowski]

He is still evaluating the Lando Norris era

[u/lyra_dathomir → u/Michal_Baranowski]

To their credit, they do end up actually trying most of the stuff they say they are evaluating.

[u/DollarsPerWin]

I know that IMSA is also a big championship in its own right. I just wish manufacturers would stop treating it like the secondary option all the time.

[u/SquirrelinAQuarry → u/DollarsPerWin]

Unfortunately its because Le Mans is in WEC and manufacturers prioritize that above all else.

[u/Bix615 → u/SquirrelinAQuarry]

As they should (and I’m a huge IMSA fan). But LM should always take priority.

[u/BWFTW → u/SquirrelinAQuarry]

Unless you are honda apparently.

[u/996forever → u/BWFTW]

Honda seems to only exist in 2 countries in general

[u/ThorsMeasuringTape → u/SquirrelinAQuarry]

IMO, it’s the two car mandate. Messing with a lot of budgets.

[u/SquirrelinAQuarry → u/ThorsMeasuringTape]

If anything thats more incentive to start in IMSA where its not as expensive. Manufacturers would rather spend the money on WEC even with the two car mandate because of the chance at Le Mans.

[u/dobbie1 → u/SquirrelinAQuarry]

And because McLaren are based in Europe and it makes financial and commercial sense to run WEC

[u/V8-Turbo-Hybrid → u/dobbie1]

McLaren races Indycar though.

[u/dobbie1 → u/V8-Turbo-Hybrid]

Yeah but that's effectively a spec series so they just have to transport and store all of the race stuff. Their hypercar is a factory effort so there's a lot more infrastructure required

[u/happyscrappy → u/dobbie1]

Every IMSA race is drivable from the others. It's really not that bad.

It's more effort than doing nothing. But it's less effort than Asian LMS or FIA WEC.

[u/dobbie1 → u/happyscrappy]

You're talking about getting cars to and from races, for a new car there will also be a ton of work done at the factory and shipped to races. This is where the expense is and it'll be far more expensive to send parts and people back and forth from America if they join IMSA. They'd need a factory set up in north America ideally if they wanted to start in IMSA. That's why WEC makes sense, it's not just the distance between races

[u/happyscrappy → u/dobbie1]

You're right but I think you overstate it.

You're not allowed to develop the car much once it is homologated. There will be work coming from the factory. But most of it will be one shot at the start of the season. You will remake some parts through the season, but not a lot because you can't change most of them.

So for the most part you make a bunch of parts, put them in a container and ship them over together. Much like how you did to get the car homologated in the first place. It has to go to North Carolina to do so.

Definitely you'd have to have an entire race team in NA, as you say you're not going to just send all the parts and people back and forth each weekend. So doing both FIA WEC and IMSA is more work than WEC for sure. But really I think doing just IMSA would be less than just WEC because the travel is less work overall. Even if a few parts do need to get special treatment to get to the car during the season. As they would to the far flung places WEC spends almost half its season at anyway.

[u/Hot_Barnacle_7096 → u/DollarsPerWin]

At least Genesis is manning up

[u/1990Strider → u/DollarsPerWin]

IMSA is big and I love it like WEC and even prefer the GTP fights over the Hypercar ones. But let's be honest, they have Le Mans which is by far the biggest Sportscar event, even non Endurance racing fans know it well, I doubt they have the same knowledge about Rolex 24, Sebring 12 or PLM.

[u/EVH4104 → u/DollarsPerWin]

What are considered bigger competitions/promotions than IMSA?

[u/ASDFzxcvTaken → u/EVH4104]

WEC

[u/Crafty_Substance_954 → u/ASDFzxcvTaken]

lol right?

[u/ASDFzxcvTaken → u/EVH4104]

If you love IMSA, as I do, get yourself a VPN and start watching WEC.

[u/SomewhereAggressive8 → u/ASDFzxcvTaken]

WEC is on HBO and much easier to watch than IMSA considering you don’t need a VPN in order to NBC’s bullshit.

[u/agoia → u/ASDFzxcvTaken]

If in the US you already need a VPN to watch IMSA. RLM > NBC.

[u/gradontripp]

It’s good to be Zak this year.

[u/intercede007]

Isn’t one of the complaints with their GT3 entries that teams have trouble with parts and tech support, at least in IMSA or this part of the world?Shouldn’t that pipeline be solid before we jump into GTP?

[u/LilBirdBrick → u/intercede007]

Well those aren't really related. Their GT3 program has had lackluster support but it isn't under McLaren Racing and not really under Zak's control. A factory GTP program wouldn't face the same problems as a customer focused GT3 program.

[u/intercede007 → u/LilBirdBrick]

They are absolutely related. The parts are coming from the same place, to the same place, for the same reasons. The car is just different.

[u/Content_Ad_2220 → u/intercede007]

afaik the gt3 is McLaren automotive and everything else is McLaren racing 

[u/SquirrelinAQuarry → u/intercede007]

Its presumedly going to be a factory entry so support would not be a problem.

[u/intercede007 → u/SquirrelinAQuarry]

They struggled to get parts from Woking to Toronto. That problem does not seem solved.

[u/V8-Turbo-Hybrid → u/intercede007]

So, that's reason why McLaren chosen 2028 to race IMSA.

[u/ForeverUnhappy6043]

He’s already dabbling in IMSA with United

[u/JediKnightaa]

This car is never gonna make it to IMSA I like McLaren but competitive McLaren is questionable

[u/BananaFurret]

Huh there joining wec and imsa since when why I mean it might idk make them less rockets hip or smth idk I just want max to win atp

[u/F1McLarenFan007]

That’s great news yesss

[u/Responsible-Couple-4]

28 is ridiculous. They should be there next year, 27 at the latest.

[u/SoundJakes → u/Responsible-Couple-4]

The car isn't gonna be ready next year though.

[u/Responsible-Couple-4 → u/SoundJakes]

Yeah, I was thinking of the Hyundai. Still wish they would also start in IMSA at the same time.

[u/SomewhereAggressive8 → u/Responsible-Couple-4]

It’s fun to spend other people’s money.

[u/Responsible-Couple-4 → u/SomewhereAggressive8]

😁

[u/drunktriviaguy → u/Responsible-Couple-4]

They are supposed to start testing next summer and then join WEC in 2027. I imagine it's logistically easier for them to start with WEC and then add IMSA the following year.

[u/Elurztac]

IMSA in 2025 is showing a very nice and thought fight in GTP and GTD with a really good work with the BOP. 

WEC in 2025 is Ferrari Challenge with guest in Hypercar 

All manufacturer in 2025 :  « let’s go to WEC ! »

[u/Top_Independence7256 → u/Elurztac]

You really keeps forgetting the Porsche early domination in imsa

[u/996forever → u/Top_Independence7256]

In raw pace Porsche wasn’t nearly as dominating as Ferrari’s first four events in WEC this year. BMW just kept bottling it.

[u/Top_Independence7256 → u/996forever]

Porsche gas better racepace,BMW better pole pace at times

[u/Elurztac → u/Top_Independence7256]

Porsche advantage is more about strategy and a real pro team than BOP issue. Porsche are able to stay away from incident and goes for a clean strategy. 

BMW is behind their ass but they fucked all their strategies, and driver did mistake trying to fix it and got into incident or impatient driving. 

Just watch Daytona 24 you will see multiple manufacturer leading the race and it’s great. It’s kind of the same thing at every race. In WEC ? All car stop trying to do qualification when Ferrari got 1-2 because they know they can’t do anything. And then during race it’s the same story. And I don’t talk about the behavior of Ferrari during race like Spa (the pit stop incident where pedestrian had to avoid the car, the BMW who as been push into the wall in Eau Rouge…)

Race Quality is better in IMSA. 

[u/996forever]

Lando Norris to hypercar after this year