RLL Enters GTD Pro With McLaren in New Partnership

Image: Team RLL

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing will return to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GT ranks next year, fielding a GTD Pro entry as part of a newly announced multi-year collaboration with McLaren.

The team will run the No. 59 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo for the full WeatherTech Championship season, with drivers to be announced at a later date.

As previously reported by Sportscar365, Team RLL was working on a program that would see the team remain on the grid after its split with BMW, having been replaced by Team WRT as the operator of the Munich brand’s factory GTP effort.

Prior to its step up to the top class, RLL gained extensive experience racing GT cars in both the WeatherTech Championship and the American Le Mans Series.

It last competed in GTD Pro in 2022, when it ran the BMW M4 GT3 during that car’s debut season while it prepared to step up to the GTP class a year later.

“As someone who has always valued the rich history of motorsport, partnering with a brand as iconic as McLaren is truly exciting,” said team co-owner Bobby Rahal.

“The Rahal legacy began with my father Mike’s passion for sports car racing, and to now launch this new chapter with such a storied partner is something we take tremendous pride in.”

Jay Frye, Team RLL president, added: “McLaren is a globally renowned brand, perfectly aligned with the ambition of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

“Together, we’re not just building a team – we’re building a championship-caliber program for the seasons ahead.”

McLaren, for its part, returns to the WeatherTech Championship grid after a year’s absence. In 2024, it was represented by Pfaff Motorsports and Inception Racing before those two teams switched to Lamborghini and Ferrari, respectively.

Source: Sports Car 365