McLaren release statement after championship changes hint

McLaren has addressed speculation it is looking to branch out into sports car racing, a move that could be to the detriment of its IndyCar and Formula E programmes.

At the 24 Hours of Daytona, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown spoke favourably of expanding into endurance racing in WEC and/or IMSA.

The American said that adding either of those championships to its portfolio "definitely" has the attention of McLaren.

However, Brown did not rule out the possibility this could come at the expense of either IndyCar or Formula E, with F1 safe from risk.

"When we take decisions on entering new forms of motorsports, we review our existing forms of motorsports," he said.

The papaya squad recently won its first F1 constructors' championship since 1998, but has as yet failed to attain the same level of success elsewhere in single-seater motorsport.

RacingNews365 reached out to McLaren for comment on the developments and the potential that adding WEC or IMSA to the series' under its belt could come at a cost elsewhere.

The team, which keeps its portfolio "under review", did not shut down the speculation, confirming that it evaluates "all potential opportunities and whether they would require any adjustments to...existing obligations".

Nonetheless, McLaren reiterated its commitment to the existing championships it "currently" races in.

"McLaren Racing is continually exploring opportunities across the motorsport landscape to ensure we are competing in the right series that aligns with our long-term strategy and keep our racing portfolio under review to maintain the necessary focus and resources to be as successful as possible in every championship we enter," a McLaren spokesperson told RacingNews365.

"Like any business, we evaluate all potential opportunities and whether they would require any adjustment to our existing obligations, but our commitment remains to deliver performance and success across all race series in which we currently compete."