Mikkel Jensen believes he has reached the ideal stage of his endurance racing career as he prepares to play a central role in McLaren Racing’s ambitious Hypercar project for WEC 2027. The Danish driver feels the timing of his recruitment could prove crucial as the British manufacturer gears up for its return to the top class of the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2027.
McLaren confirmed its intention to enter the championship’s premier category last April, ending an absence of almost three decades from the highest level of endurance racing.
McLaren WEC Hypercar opportunity too good to ignore for Jensen
Two months ago, McLaren named Jensen as the first driver for the McLaren United AS WEC Hypercar Team. When the opportunity emerged, the 31-year-old admitted he immediately recognised its potential.
“When I saw McLaren announcing the project, my eyes inevitably went a bit in that direction,” he acknowledged. “I feel I’m in a golden time in my career. I’ve just turned 31 – that’s a good age for an endurance driver – but I wasn’t really getting the success I felt I deserved and I obviously haven’t won an FIA WEC race yet. I think it was the time for a change and a new challenge, and this feels like the right place for me to be.
“It all happened very naturally. I went home after the last race of 2025 in Bahrain, re-packed my bags and came to the McLaren Technology Centre. I saw the ‘boulevard’, all the cars and felt the atmosphere, spirit and history of the brand, which was very emotional. I’d only seen it in videos before, but actually being there was very special and a great start to this journey.
“There’s so much hunger here – everybody wants to win and I want to win, so it’s just a great fit and a great match and I’m super-excited for the adventure ahead!”
Jensen’s visit to the McLaren Technology Centre marked the beginning of his involvement in the programme as the team prepares its new Hypercar challenger.
Building the project from the ground up
During three-and-a-half seasons competing in the Hypercar category, Jensen has already reached the podium in the FIA WEC on three occasions. However, he has yet to secure his first victory in the championship.
He now hopes his early involvement with McLaren will help change that. By joining during the development phase, Jensen gains the chance to influence the project long before the car reaches the track.
“Obviously it would have been nice to do another year of racing [in Hypercar], but it was also a great advantage for both myself and McLaren to start working together already,” reflected the Dane, who will nevertheless remain race-sharp throughout 2026 via an LMP2 class campaign in IMSA with McLaren’s official partner United Autosports, as well as an outing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
“Endurance racing is a team sport – more so than any other motorsport discipline. Everybody needs to be on the same page, so getting to know people and working together so early on in the project means we can fine-tune everything together. It’s super-interesting and motivating as a driver to put your touch on things in the development phase, rather than just arriving to see the final product – that’s definitely an advantage for me.
“It’s a very experienced group of people and they did a lot of work before I joined – they already had a bigger plan than I expected – but especially on the software side, there are so many opportunities to explore that you can always find more.”
Experience across multiple categories
Jensen brings considerable versatility to the project. Over the course of his career, he has raced in single-seaters, GT machinery and prototype categories, collecting titles in both the European Le Mans Series and the IMSA SportsCar Championship.
That varied background, he believes, will help him contribute effectively to the development of McLaren’s upcoming Hypercar.
“I think I’m at my best age as an endurance driver,” the Aarhus native asserted. “I have some good experience now – McLaren is getting a driver who has been everywhere! I’ve always had to adapt super-quickly to what I’ve been given in my career, because I’ve driven all kinds of cars.
“That means I have a broad view on everything, and a very open mind on the different cars and manufacturers I’ve worked with, whereas other drivers maybe come with more of a tunnel mindset because they’ve only been with one manufacturer or one type of car for a long time. I think that’s a good value I can bring.
“We have a lot of work to do. The car hasn’t run yet, and we need to get it working perfectly before the first race. We need to be spot-on and on top of every aspect of the development to not lose any time. It’s a long journey and 2027 might feel like it’s far away, but it will come around very quickly and we need to execute…”
McLaren and Jensen keep eyes on 2027 WEC Hypercar return
Although McLaren’s Hypercar has yet to run, development work continues behind the scenes as the team prepares for its return to endurance racing’s highest level. With Jensen already embedded in the project, the British marque hopes to build a strong foundation ahead of its highly anticipated debut in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
