Why McLaren's Goodwood run was an important step for the WEC

The Goodwood Festival of Speed team has a real knack for creating iconic motorsport moments that live long in the memory. The hillclimb provides the perfect backdrop for fans to see some of the greatest cars from the past, present and future.

So with that in mind, it should have come as no real surprise to see McLaren take its all-new Hypercar, the MCL-HY to the West Sussex estate for its first public outing.

Beyond the Formula 1 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Goodwood’s Festival of Speed is now regarded as the next biggest motorsport event in the UK. 

And so looking at it from that perspective, you can see why McLaren wanted to do everything it could to ensure it could have its first public run on the hill.

It was a big moment for McLaren as it bared all to fans for the very first time. Let’s not forget, this is a new car after all, having completed only two tests prior to heading to Goodwood. Plenty could go wrong, and the risk of having issues was legitimate.

But it wasn’t just a big moment for the Woking-based team. It was also a big moment for the World Endurance Championship itself.

Next year, the WEC will return to the British shores once again, sending some of the world’s greatest endurance racing cars thundering around the historic Silverstone circuit. But it’s been sometime since that happened and in the years since, the WEC lost a good portion of British fans.

As we’ve written before, the audience base for endurance racing in the UK is growing once again in the Hypercar era, but it still needs to capture more eyes from motorsport fans. And so McLaren giving its Hypercar its first public display at Goodwood can play a big part in reigniting fans’ excitement for the championship.

And that’s a point that McLaren Hypercar team principal James Barclay agrees with.

“Exactly, that’s why we’re here at Goodwood as well right?” Barclay said exclusively to The Pit Stop Endurance minutes prior to the MCL-HY taking to the hill for its first run.

“Why here? It’s the biggest motorsport fan event in the world.”

Naturally Barclay is very much looking forward to racing at Silverstone in 2027, especially because it means McLaren will have a true home event right from the off. But he also thinks the WEC has a lot to offer British motorsport fans.

“I’m so excited that we are racing at Silverstone next year as well,” said Barclay. 

“To have a British race in the calendar is fantastic news for us all. Home race for us. 

“Endurance racing is in an amazing time, and you see that with the amount of fans that come to Le Mans - so 400,000 people this year. It’s incredible. 

“But to have that at Silverstone, a great track, a great experience. I was there for the grand prix last weekend. That was epic. 

“So I think honestly, we have all the ingredients. We have the World Endurance Championship bigger than its ever been. Sportscar racing at the top category with more manufacturers than there’s ever been before and you have McLaren, Ford, Ferrari, Toyota just to name a few. I mean, it’s unprecedented. 

“So I’ve no doubt British motorsport fans will come in their numbers and I sure hope they do because it will be an incredible race there next year.”

As it turned out, McLaren had nothing to worry about with its runs up the hill. The MCL-HY headed up the hillclimb without issue with Gregoire Saucy behind the wheel on Friday morning, before F1 world champion Lando Norris got his first taste of the Hypercar when he drove it in the afternoon slot.

All of that will help generate excitement  for fans, and in addition it will inevitably provide greater awareness for the WEC itself.

This was the starter before next year’s main course. And it was an important first step for getting the British motorsport masses hooked on the WEC once again.