Grégoire Saucy (McLaren): Dreams really do come true

Just this week, McLaren confirmed Grégoire Saucy as the penultimate regular driver for their debut in the WEC’s Hypercar class in 2027. Two days later, the driver from western Switzerland, near Délémont, made his first appearance as a works driver in orange at a media event in Monza. “Grégoire has been part of the project from the very start and was there for the rollout in Varano. He comes from our Development Programme. We’re delighted to now be able to give him the chance to compete in the Hypercar class. And for us, it’s also an opportunity to see how he performs in a Hypercar works team. He’s done a fantastic job so far. It’s important to have young drivers in such a demanding programme,” said team principal James Barclay of the 26-year-old.

He sums up his career as follows: “Like many others, I started out in single-seaters (2021 Formula Regional Europe champion, ed.). Four years ago, I began to get more involved in endurance racing, first in GT, then in LMP2. The races are longer, you have team-mates, new engineers – all of that requires an adjustment at the start. Four years ago, I raced at Le Mans for the first time. This year, I’ve had a really good season in the ELMS with two wins and the championship title. I’ve learnt a lot there. In the Hypercar programme, everyone in the team was so helpful. That’s why I felt at home in the new environment straight away.”

Saucy has even taken the MCL-HY out in public: at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, he was the only driver from the upcoming WEC team to drive the prototype alongside F1 world champion Lando Norris. “It was my goal to make the step up to the Hypercars one day. I did my bit in the ELMS and in development at McLaren. But you never know what’s going to happen until you actually get the confirmation. That was obviously a huge moment; I was ‘over the moon’ when I got the call,” said Saucy.

Sébastien Buemi, another driver from French-speaking Switzerland, is one of the most successful endurance drivers. “I know Sébastien very well. He’s given me some tips. I hold him in very high regard, not just as a fellow Swiss, but as a leading figure in our sport,” confirmed Saucy. McLaren has so far confirmed Mikkel Jensen, Laurens Vanthoor, Alex Lynn and Leonardo Fornaroli as its Hypercar drivers. The sixth driver is due to be announced ‘very soon’ (team principal Barclay). It seems they simply want to wait until the end of the season on Sunday.