United Autosports at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hour of Le Mans lived up to its reputation this weekend. A true feat of endurance, dedication and teamwork.
The United Autosports LMP2 duo successfully crossed the finish line P7 (#22) and P6 (#23 Pro/Am) after 24 hours, reaching a combined 727 laps and 67 pit stops – but for the LMGT3 crew, it was double heartbreak with the #95 retiring in the sixth hour and, perhaps even more cruelly, the #59 suffering an electrical fault at the 23-hour mark.
United Autosports LMP2 driver line-up at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans
#22 ORECA 07
David Heinemeier Hansson, Renger van der Zande, Pietro Fittipaldi
QUALI P5 | RACE P7
The #22 ORECA 07 started P5 on the grid, with strong race pace from the start. An early spin, five second penalty and a dip into the box to fix a steering system issue resulted in time lost, but together the drivers and crew stormed into the top five, with a podium on the cards in the event of a Safety Car. However, with just three and half hours left on the clock, the #22 suffered a radio issue, with the driver missing the call to box and requiring intensive fuel saving to get back to the pits. The podium sadly fell out of sight but the #22 ORECA 07 retained its place in the top 10, taking P7 at the flag.
David Heinemeier Hansson: "We had pace for a podium, but Le Mans demands perfect execution and no issues. Still, this is the greatest race in the world, and it was a pleasure to drive it in the United #22."
Renger van der Zande: “We gave it all today and it wasn’t meant to be, to win this one. We had quite an adventure on the way and that’s exactly what you don’t want to win Le Mans! I want to thank United Autosports and my teammates for all the effort over the past 10 days. Everybody gave the maximum possible which I appreciate a lot. I’ve made friends for life and that’s what we can takeaway from this!”
Pietro Fittipaldi: “Finished seventh in the 24 Hours of Le Mans … it’s what could have been really. We had a lot of pace, we were really fast out there. There were a few issues throughout the race … one of them was a power steering failure which we had to fix in the garage. Honestly, I was really surprised that the mechanics were able to do it in such a quick time. With that, we lost two laps and it’s so difficult to get that back at Le Mans. Even there we won back to 10th, recovered to 4th on pace and then we had another set back, putting us back again to 10th and still we recovered to 7th! It has been a pleasure to work with the United Autosports team. I can tell why they’re a top calibre team and I hope to race with them again one day.”
#23 ORECA 07
Daniel Schneider, Oliver Jarvis and Ben Hanley
QUALI P4 | RACE P6
The #23 ORECA 07 also secured a top 10 finish for the LMP2 crew, crossing the line P6 in LMP2 Pro/Am and P11 in LMP2 overall. On Saturday afternoon, Oliver Jarvis took the start from P4, after a strong result in Hyperpole 2 courtesy of Ben Hanley. One stint in, Jarvis handed over to Daniel Schneider for his 24 Hours of Le Mans debut. Schneider kept the car safe in the 17-strong LMP2 pack but, in a field of experienced Le Mans drivers, lost time in the process. Clean racing continued through the night, with pro drivers Olly Jarvis and Ben Hanley – the latter, who set the third fastest average lap time in LMP2 – closing the gap, and Schneider doing a solid job on his first Le Mans night racing experience. Sunday followed the same suit; the drivers stayed clear of penalties, the crew executed slick pit stops and at 16:00 local time, the #23 ORECA 07 took P6 in class.
Daniel Schneider: “Being part of the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time is something I’ll carry with me forever. From the moment I arrived, I could feel the weight of history in the air: the grandstands, the pit lane, the energy of the crowd. And then the moment came—when I took my place behind the wheel… I’m grateful beyond words—for the whole United team and specially for Hugo, Olly [Jarvis] and Ben [Hanley] who believed in me to take the chequered flag. Will never forget that last lap. This wasn’t just a race. It was a rite of passage. And I hope I can return very soon.”
Ben Hanley: “It was a fast, non-stop race. It was Daniel’s first time here and he was, I’m pretty sure, the only person in LMP2 who hadn’t competed at Le Mans before so it was a big ask to be instantly up to the pace of the other Bronzes who have been here for many years. But he did a great job and we maximised what we had! No contact, it was quite a clean race, quick pit stops … we did what we needed to do but the race fell away from us, so it wasn’t to be this time.”
Oliver Jarvis: “We headed into Le Mans with the target of winning but we always knew it was going to be extremely tough especially with the competition being so high and it being Daniel’s first 24 Hours of Le Mans. From our side, we showed good overall pace and the team did a great job. We just didn’t get the Safety Cars we required for victory. But it was a great experience. I’ve had a very enjoyable 12 days working with Daniel, Ben and the team, and we can take the lessons learned and the experience for next year, and hopefully get back on the podium.”
United Autosports LMGT3 McLaren team - 24 Hours of Le Mans 2025
#95 McLaren GT3 EVO
Darren Leung, Sean Gelael, Marino Sato
QUALI P7 | RACE DNF
The #95 McLaren GT3 EVO made steady progress from P7 on the grid, dropping positions at the start and then powering forward to P8. Six hours in, however, the #95 McLaren GT3 EVO suffered a drivetrain related mechanical failure. Darren Leung pulled over to the side of the track and, working together with the United Autosports team via radio and phone communications, identified that the failure had also impacted the fuel delivery. Darren worked calmly to rectify the fuel delivery issue and the #95 McLaren prepared to rejoin the race – however, he was unable to engage forward drive as a result of the original mechanical failure and at 22:18, the #95 officially retired. A heartbreaking result for this ultra-competitive line-up.
#59 McLaren GT3 EVO
James Cottingham, Sebastien Baud, Gregoire Saucy
QUALI P11 | RACE DNF
The sister #59 McLaren GT3 EVO also suffered the wrath of Le Mans. By the second half of the race, the drivers had firmly established their place in the top 10, running P8 for seven hours until an alternator failure brought the car into the box for emergency repairs at 11:30AM. Twenty minutes later, the car was back on track – eight laps down on the LMGT3 leader, but with the finish line coming into view. With just one hour five minutes and thirty seconds to go - after 23 hours of might, passion and unwavering focus - the #59 McLaren had an electrical issue which brought Saucy to a halt. Together, Gregoire and the team did everything they could to restart the car and cross the finish line, with the Swiss driver relaying key information from the Porsche Curves back to the garage ... but it couldn’t be solved and tragically, with just seven minutes to go, the #59 McLaren retired from the race.
Charlie Kemp, WEC LMGT3 Team Manager, United Autosports: “This time last year was hard, but this is so much harder. The work that’s been put in by everybody – the United Autosports team, McLaren Automotive and the drivers - to make sure this didn’t happen again has been absolutely monumental. We gave it everything … but we didn’t see the finish line, and that is honestly devastating. The result does not reflect the desire, passion and drive of this team, and I am truly proud of every single person.”
MANAGEMENT
Richard Dean, CEO, United Autosports: “This has been a huge weekend for United Autosports, announcing our Hypercar project with McLaren Racing. Of course, we are disappointed with the results of the race, especially after taking the win last year, but I don’t want that to takeaway from what is a monumental step forward for this team and a direct result of years of hard work and success. I wish the team and drivers had been rewarded for their efforts but that’s Le Mans. It can be a cruel race and this weekend, it was.”
Ian James, Director of Motorsport, McLaren Automotive: “It’s devastating that the number 95 McLaren GT3 EVO retired early, and the 59 came to a stop so close to taking the chequered flag on the 93rd running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. I know the United Autosports team worked tirelessly, together with McLaren Motorsport and the drivers performed brilliantly, but this year it was not meant to be. The challenge remains however, and we’re already working on how we can come back stronger next year. Le Mans, we’re not done with you yet!”