Garage 59 is preparing for its long-awaited 2026 debut in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), and despite recognising the scale of the challenge ahead, the British outfit has clear ambitions for the future.
Team Principal Andrew Kirkaldy insists that the team’s objectives remain unchanged, even as it steps onto the world championship stage.
“As a team, our aim is always to win races, and that doesn’t change just because we’re now competing at world championship level – ultimately, we want to be fighting for podium positions and victories. In Qatar, we will get an idea of where we are in the pecking-order. Given the short timeframe we’ve had to work with, I think we are in as good a shape as possible.”
A proven pedigree in sportscar racing
The Northamptonshire-based squad joins the championship in 2026 with an impressive track record across global GT racing. Since its formation in 2016, Garage 59 has established itself as a competitive force in sportscar racing. The team has competed across multiple prestigious series, including GT World Challenge Europe, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Bathurst 12 Hour, the Intercontinental GT Challenge, the British GT Championship, the Asian Le Mans Series and the International GT Open.
Across these championships, the team has secured numerous podium finishes, race victories and titles. Now, Garage 59 sets its sights on success at the highest level of endurance racing.
According to Kirkaldy, the move into the FIA WEC has been several years in the making.
“We had looked at doing FIA WEC before, and we were in the mix for the LMGT3 gig that ultimately went the way of United Autosports,” he reveals. “With United moving up to Hypercar and understandably putting its full focus on that project, the opportunity then presented itself again.”
A rapid opportunity pans out to see Garage 59 make WEC debut in 2026
Once discussions with McLaren Automotive began ahead of the 2025 season finale in Bahrain, events quickly gathered momentum.
“We were already very busy with our programme in the GT World Challenge as well as all of our activities outside of motor racing, but we knew this required serious consideration and we just felt the timing was right. We managed to put everything together and it all happened quite quickly.”
Kirkaldy also praised United Autosports for its support during the transition process.
“United have been fantastic to work with and have done absolutely everything they can to make the transition as smooth as possible. They’ve been extremely open and there has been an excellent transfer of information – better than we could ever have wished for.”
Experience with the McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo
One factor that could work in Garage 59’s favour ahead of the opening round in Qatar is its familiarity with the McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo.
The team logged extensive mileage with the car in 2025 in the GT World Challenge Europe and achieved three race victories during the campaign. While the FIA WEC programme will use Goodyear tyres rather than the brand previously run in GTWC, Kirkaldy still believes the experience offers a clear benefit.
That knowledge could prove valuable as the team begins its maiden season in the championship.
A strong and familiar driver line-up at Garage 59 ahead of 2026 WEC debut
Garage 59 also enters the campaign with a driver roster that combines experience with emerging talent. Kirkaldy believes the continuity within the squad will help the team adapt quickly to the demands of the championship.
“I think it’s a strong line-up,” he enthused, “and I’m confident everybody will get to grips with this new challenge very quickly. Benji [Goethe], Alexander [West], Marvin [Kirchhöfer] and Tom [Fleming] are all well-known to Garage 59, and that element of continuity can only be a positive.”
He also highlighted the strengths of each driver within the team.
“Alex has a lot of experience, Marvin for me is one of the top pros in the world, Benji has come on a lot with us over the past three years and I rate Tom very highly as a ‘Silver’. As for Antares [Au], we’d been talking about doing something like this for a long time – it had just never come to fruition before.”
Another addition to the line-up has already made a strong impression.
“Finn was introduced to me by Ben Barnicoat, who I brought into GT racing in my previous role running the McLaren programme and whose opinion I really trust. He told me he regarded Finn very highly and that we should have a talk with him. We’ve only spent a few days together so far, but he looks very impressive.”
Kirkaldy’s own experience as a racing driver has also shaped the team’s philosophy when it comes to nurturing talent.
“I’ve obviously been a driver myself, and as such, I know just how hard it is to forge a professional career in this sport – and it’s only getting tougher. That’s why as a team, we’ve always done our best to try to nurture up-and-coming talents and help them to climb the ladder.”
A realistic but ambitious outlook
While the team’s long-term ambition is clear, Kirkaldy is realistic about the challenges awaiting Garage 59 in its debut campaign.
“We’re aware we have a lot to learn and we haven’t been to all of the tracks on the calendar before, but quite a few members of the team do know the championship and we raced at Le Mans in 2022 with a different make of car,” he explains.
“It’s a question of everybody getting used to working together so the whole operation gels – you can have the fastest car in the field, but you’ve still got to get everything else right. We’re not expecting to just rock up and be straight on the pace – the best teams in the world participate in FIA WEC, so the opposition will be strong and it’s certainly not going to be a walk in the park – but we’re putting in as much preparation as we can.”
With preparations continuing ahead of the Qatar 1812km season opener, Garage 59 will soon discover exactly where it stands in the fiercely competitive LMGT3 field.
