McLaren has today revealed the identity of the first driver tasked with spearheading its new Hypercar programme.

The driver in question is Mikkel Jensen, who had raced under the Peugeot Sport banner since 2022. At 31 years old, the Dane may not enjoy the approval rating of a former single-seater star - but he is nevertheless regarded as one of endurance racing’s global benchmarks.

“I’m extremely proud to be joining the World Championship-winning McLaren family and excited to be a part of its Hypercar project from the early stages,” said Jensen. “Stepping onto the boulevard at the McLaren Technology Centre gives me goosebumps – it not only brings to life how much history McLaren has in Formula 1, but the 1995 Le Mans-winning F1 GTR reminds me that we have an incredible endurance story to continue.”

Jensen's signing will inevitably raise a few questions among casual observers.

Who is Mikkel Jensen?

Crowned ADAC Formula Masters champion in 2014 ahead of future Formula E race winner Maximilian Guenther, Jensen failed to achieve the expected breakthrough in Formula 3 over the next two seasons.

Ninth overall in 2015, he finished sixth in the rookie standings of an exceptionally strong field. Four of the five drivers who beat him are now Formula 1 drivers, three have stood on an F1 podium and two – George Russell and Charles Leclerc – have won grands prix.

By the end of 2016, Jensen had shifted his focus to endurance racing. After joining BMW as a junior in 2019, he became a full-on factory driver the following year and contested the entire Intercontinental GT Challenge.

His first full ELMS season in 2019 ended with the LMP3 title. He then established himself as a reference in LMP2, recording 12 wins and 21 podiums from just 32 IMSA starts. Highlights included the 2021 IMSA LMP2 title with PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports plus two class victories at the Sebring 12 Hours and three at Petit Le Mans.

Yet that's a CV that still undersells his true ability. And while his four seasons with Peugeot Sport did little to enhance his silverware collection, he was the most consistently impressive driver in the 9X8 programme.

Safe bet or gamble?

There is a reason Jensen made our list of the most eye-catching drivers of 2025, despite a lack of big results for Peugeot. Perhaps the most telling endorsement comes from those who have raced against him.

Richard Dean – co-owner of United Autosports alongside Zak Brown – experienced Jensen’s impact first-hand in LMP2 since 2020. Having grown weary of seeing the Dane torment his team, Dean ultimately decided the only solution was to hire him. That collaboration has already begun, with Jensen racing a United Autosports Oreca 07 this season in both the Asian Le Mans Series and IMSA.

“Announcing Mikkel is another important milestone in the formation of our new Hypercar team,” said McLaren Endurance Racing team principal James Barclay. “He has already proven himself as one of the most competitive and well-rounded sportscar racing drivers in the world and will bring with him a wealth of experience from the Hypercar category.”

In addition to racing in Hypercar since 2022 with Peugeot, Jensen brings extensive Le Mans experience, with six starts to his name: one in LMP2, two in GTE Am and three in Hypercar.

While he lacks the aura of a former Formula 1 driver, Jensen is undeniably one of the most highly regarded endurance racers and thoroughly deserving of the deal. More importantly, he represents a major asset for a fledgling operation like McLaren United AS.

A programme already well advanced

Although McLaren unveiled the first lines of its future Hypercar during the 93rd running of the Le Mans 24 Hours last June, that reveal amounted to a full-scale model rather than the finished article, and the final version is expected to differ in detail.

What is clear, however, is that McLaren is not behind schedule. The car’s design is already so advanced that it has begun windtunnel testing, as confirmed by an image shared by McLaren on social media on December 2.

The LMDh car will be built around a Dallara chassis - the same platform used by the BMW M Hybrid V8 and Cadillac V-Series.R - and powered by a twin-turbo V6 built by Autotecnica Motori in Italy.

Initial on-track running is expected early in the second quarter of 2026, followed by several months of extensive development and testing. With the exception of Porsche’s programme, no LMDh manufacturer has benefited from such a long development lead-in ahead of its race debut. By comparison, Ford’s Hypercar is not expected to hit the track until August.

Who will partner Jensen?

As things stand, Brown is keen to lean on two-driver line-ups for six-hour races, reinforced by a third driver for longer events. Whether that philosophy evolves – as it has for some rivals – remains to be seen.

What is certain is that Jensen will be entrusted with the British LMDh’s first laps, particularly as his future team-mates may not be confirmed any time soon. McLaren had been linked with Mick Schumacher and Matt Campbell, but Schumacher opted for IndyCar while Campbell is now expected to join Ford.

The leading candidate to partner Jensen remains his compatriot Malthe Jakobsen, although he is contracted to race with Peugeot in 2026. McLaren is also monitoring the Porsche Penske Motorsport driver pool, but any potential candidates there would similarly be unavailable during the development phase.

As a result, McLaren may need to rely on drivers who are not guaranteed race seats to complete the early development work.