McLaren Promotes Saucy to Full-Time WEC Seat
Swiss driver Grégoire Saucy, 26, earns a 2027 full-time Hypercar seat after progressing through McLaren's development program.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Motorsports
McLaren Hypercar Team has promoted Grégoire Saucy to a full-time FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar seat for 2027. Saucy is the fifth driver confirmed for the McLaren Hypercar project, which has one remaining full-time seat.
Why it matters
The promotion reflects Saucy's performance across the MCL-HY test program and his progression through McLaren's driver development pathway. McLaren's sixth and final full-time Hypercar driver is expected to be announced in the coming days.
Saucy won eight races in the 2021 Formula Regional European Championship and earned two wins and five podiums across six European Le Mans Series rounds. He has attended all but one of the team's MCL-HY tests, and the record reflects his performance across both categories.
The players
Grégoire Saucy
A 26-year-old Swiss racing driver and graduate of the McLaren driver development program, known for his 2021 Formula Regional European Championship title run with eight wins.
McLaren Hypercar Team
The factory-backed McLaren team competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship's Hypercar class with the MCL-HY, its first endurance prototype program.
The details
Saucy, 26, is a Swiss driver who graduated from the McLaren driver development program. He drove the McLaren MCL-HY alongside Lando Norris at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and shared in the 2026 European Le Mans Series championship title with his teammates.
Timeline
2021: Saucy won eight races in the Formula Regional European Championship.
2024 and 2025: Saucy competed in the WEC in a McLaren LMGT3 Evo.
May 4, 2026: The McLaren MCL-HY was rolled out at Varano, Italy.
2027: Saucy begins his full-time McLaren WEC Hypercar seat.
Season Trajectory
Saucy's move follows McLaren's pattern of advancing drivers from its LMGT3 Evo program in the WEC during 2024 and 2025 into its Hypercar effort. The confirmation of a fifth driver narrows the remaining field and shapes McLaren's approach to the 2027 WEC grid.
Saucy's confirmation fills five of six McLaren Hypercar seats, so the remaining announcement will determine the full driver lineup for the 2027 WEC season. Fans tracking the grid can expect the final seat to be confirmed before the new season begins.
The takeaway
McLaren's development pipeline, built from LMGT3 competition through the MCL-HY test program, is producing its Hypercar drivers from within. Watch for the sixth seat announcement to complete the team's 2027 driver lineup.
What happens next
McLaren's sixth and final full-time Hypercar driver is expected to be announced in the coming days.
Further reading
Explore more Motorsports coverage for context on endurance racing and the WEC grid.
