Laurens Vanthoor is embracing McLaren’s distinctly different philosophy, and he will be living the dream twice by piloting premier prototype machinery for both the British marque and Porsche in the upcoming season.
The Belgian was unveiled in May as part of McLaren Endurance Racing’s driver roster, ahead of the MCL-HY Hypercar’s debut in the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2027.
Vanthoor has spent the last decade with Porsche and will continue to campaign a Penske-run 963 in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s Michelin Endurance Cup rounds next year, before committing exclusively to McLaren from 2028 onward.
He described joining McLaren as “leaving your comfort zone,” yet he has been reassured by how swiftly he has felt at home and has enjoyed collaborating with fellow 2027 recruit Mikkel Jensen.
“I’ve spent ten years with Porsche and before that five with Audi — so a German OEM that’s focused on racing,” Vanthoor said during a recent Silverstone test with McLaren.
“Now I’m aligned with a British racing outfit; McLaren Racing is a race team, so the approach is quite different.”
“How funding is secured, how operations run, and also the mentality — Germans versus the English, OEM mentality versus race-team mentality — it’s been quite a contrast, yet it’s also very refreshing.”
“I’m not saying one is better or worse, but after a decade in one setup, it’s refreshing to experience something new, and that’s part of why I wanted to explore this path.”
“Still, it’s been a smooth transition — I settled in quickly and have felt a lot of respect from everyone.”
While Vanthoor’s departure from Porsche stemmed from a desire to pursue opportunities to contend for the overall win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans after Porsche’s exit from WEC at the close of last season, he emphasized that he was highly selective about where to continue racing.
“There are several solid options available, but I need to wear the badge with pride on my chest, and coming from Porsche—one of the sport’s premier endurance manufacturers—there aren’t many places that can match that level,” he explained.
“In my view, only McLaren or Ferrari could provide that sense of front-door prestige. Others may be successful, but they wouldn’t offer the same distinction of walking in as a race driver for a specific name.”
“That was crucial for me, and I also genuinely believe it attracts top talent for the same reason. All of these factors pushed me toward McLaren.”
Vanthoor acknowledged that this season has involved substantial travel, balancing Porsche duties in North America with testing work for McLaren in Europe, but he sees multiple benefits in being aligned with two manufacturers.
“We all love racing, we love cars, and we love teams — Penske, McLaren, Porsche, Ferrari and the brands — it’s something we’ve dreamed about since childhood,” he said.
“If, on Monday and Tuesday, you’re in Mooresville with Penske, they give you a shop tour because you don’t visit often, you grab lunch with Roger, and then you fly to London, swap into an orange McLaren shirt, walk into the MTC in Woking, and meet Zak Brown with F1 cars nearby — in the evening you realize, ‘That was two amazing days.’”
“Of course there’s work, stress, and commitments, but the childlike enthusiasm for racing is hard to top.”
Vanthoor added that he must remain mindful not to disclose sensitive information to rival manufacturers and to stay respectful toward both sides.
He has been “genuinely impressed” by the initial impression of the MCL-HY and highlighted McLaren’s early endurance testing as a sign of “how seriously they take the program.”
Early indications, he said, point to a solid baseline for the car that is “better than I had hoped for.”
Another notable distinction between the Porsche and the McLaren, according to Vanthoor, is the steering feel.
“It took me five or six laps to feel comfortable, but once I did, the confidence started to grow,” he explained of the learning curve.
“Sometimes a new car requires an entire day to adapt, but that wasn’t the case here.”
