McLaren to return to the Bathurst 12 Hour in 2026

A monument meets a monument again. Six years after its last participation in 2020, McLaren Formula 1 will compete again in the upcoming Bathurst 12 Hour, scheduled as the opening round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge. The British manufacturer will enter a 720S GT3 Evo in the Pro category, which will be run by Optimum Motorsport.

“Everyone at Optimum Motorsport is delighted to confirm our commitment to next year’s Bathurst 12 Hour,” team manager Shaun Goff is delighted. "This is a race we've wanted to do for a long time, and with our fast Pro crew, I know we can compete for the win with the teams that have already won it."

To aim for victory, Shaun Goff will be able to count on a trio made up of Ben Barnicoat, Marvin Kirchhöfer and Garnet Patterson.“Racing for McLaren and Optimum in the Pro category at one of the best GT races in the world, in my home country, is an incredible opportunity,” Patterson is thrilled, who will be racing on home soil after gaining experience driving the McLaren during 2025, notably competing in theELMS in LMGT3 with United Autosports (2nd in the final at Portimão with his teammates Michael Birch and Wayne Boyd). "It's a long race, but with the Optimum crew of Marvin and Ben, I'm convinced we have a very competitive package and a real chance of being among the frontrunners." continues the local news.

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McLaren fields an experienced trio

He will be joined by two drivers who have already cut their teeth at Bathurst: Ben Barnicoat finished second there with the pre-Evo McLaren 720S in 2020, during the Woking manufacturer's last appearance. Marvin Kirchhöfer also has a second-place finish to his name, achieved in 2019 with theAston Martin Vantage by R-Motorsport.

The German, winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona in early 2025, then won the GT World Challenge Europe event at Misano driving a McLaren. “I’m thrilled to be back with our team for the Bathurst 12 Hour. Racing with Ben and Garnet is an exciting prospect for all of us; it should be a great weekend! The car performs very well at Bathurst, and both drivers already have excellent experience on this circuit. I’m really grateful to be part of such a great team. It’s been a long time since I’ve raced at Bathurst, so I’m looking forward to returning to Australia and racing on one of my favorite tracks. I’m really excited for the season to get underway.”

McLaren will make its return exactly ten years after its last victory, achieved in 2016 with Tekno Autosports, and will be the eighth manufacturer competing in GT racing, a record since 2020. Facing the 720S GT3 Evo will be... Porsche, Audi, Classic Ferrari for sale, BMW, Classic Mercedes for sale-AMG, GM (Corvette) and Lamborghini. See you from February 13th to 15th.