At the beginning of February, the ADAC announced McLaren as the seventh manufacturer for 2024, but refused to provide any details about the British manufacturer’s first proper programme in the series.
Now it has been revealed that Dorr Group, the owner of McLaren’s largest dealer network in Europe, will campaign two 720S GT3 Evos in the category for Clemens Schmid and Ben Dorr.
Both cars from Dorr will run predominantly in McLaren’s papaya orange livery, as revealed during a series of secret presentations at the organisation’s showrooms in Frankfurt and Munich last weekend.
The Woking-based marque was briefly represented in the series at the start of its GT3 era in 2021, when JP Motorsport entered a single 720S in three rounds for ex-Formula 1 driver Christian Klien, but Dorr’s programme marks the first time a McLaren team has gained an entry for the full season.
Project 1 was previously seen as an option for McLaren’s foray into the DTM, but the long-time German squad announced its bankruptcy last month, leaving Dorr as the only team in the running.
However, several mechanics that previously worked on Project 1’s GTE Am programme with the Porsche 911 RS-19 in the World Endurance Championship will be a part of Dorr’s DTM entry. In addition, Project 1 team boss Axel Funke will join the management structure of the Frankfurt-based organisation.
The recruitment spree is necessary for Dorr, which only expanded to GT3 racing last year after taking the Aston Martin Vantage to the Nurburgring-Nordschleife.
Source: Autosport