McLaren names Malthe Jakobsen for Hypercar squad

McLaren Racing has appointed its final full-time driver for the McLaren Hypercar Team. Starting from 2027, the rising talent Malthe Jakobsen will race in the FIA World Endurance Championship driving the new McLaren MCL-HY.

The young Dane has established himself as one of the brightest prospects in endurance racing, accumulating a strong record of success across single-seaters and international prototype competition. After winning the Danish Formula 4 title, he secured the European Le Mans Series LMP3 championship at the age of just 18.

In the subsequent season, Jakobsen’s standout performances earned him a factory role with Peugeot Sport in the WEC, marking him as one of the most promising drivers of his generation with the potential for major success at the sport’s highest level. Although the youngest in the Peugeot Sport lineup, Jakobsen proved to be one of the fastest on the roster, catching the attention of McLaren Hypercar Team’s team principal James Barclay, who signed him for McLaren’s return to the top class of sports car racing.

“I am super excited to join the team,” said Malthe Jakobsen. “It feels unbelievable to be part of this project and this brand, in particular as it competes across WEC, F1 and IndyCar in pursuit of the
Triple Crown. This history of the team, including the Le Mans win in 1995, is so special and it will be an honour to represent McLaren on a global stage. James, Richard and Zak have created an impressive team of drivers and staff and I’m really looking forward to working with them all.”