Bobby Rahal Praises McLaren’s "Energy and Commitment" in Launch of GTD Pro Program

Team RLL began its exciting embarkation with its new McLaren GTD Pro program this past weekend at Daytona, following a multi-year relationship with BMW, which ended at the conclusion of this year.

After spending time in both the GTP and GT classes with the German manufacturer, this McLaren venture has now opened a new opportunity for the team—one that came together rather rapidly, according to team owner Bobby Rahal.

A Rapid Switch to McLaren

“Well, first I would tell you, this happened kind of—I don’t want to say last minute—but we didn’t receive the first car until a little over a week ago,” Rahal said. “Not even ten days ago; eight days ago or something like that. I think the thing that was most impressive to us was the energy from McLaren in our discussions with them. They were on it. I mean, we had discussions for probably a month or so, but as with anything, it takes time to come to agreements and what have you. But even during that period, things were happening just based on the conversations we were having. There was a sense of faith that we all wanted to go to the same place—the same direction. And when it started to happen, whether it was the car, parts, engineers coming over, or information coming over for our people, there was no delay. They were on it. That level of energy, to me, was such a great sign of how they view this association. In fact, today I met a couple of engineers, and they’re very excited about the prospects. So to this point—and I don’t think it’s going to change—it’s really been a very positive start to this relationship.”

Returning to the GT Ranks

The last time Rahal and the team raced in a GT class came in 2022, when they were preparing to begin their transition into taking over operations for BMW’s LMDh program.

Since then, the series has seen significant changes, with new teams, drivers, and technologies entering the fold. And even though Rahal had been focused on their GTP efforts, he has definitely noticed the evolution within the GT ranks.

“The number of manufacturers and the cars have gotten more and more sophisticated, and the factories are more and more involved. When you’re racing against Porsche, you’re racing against Porsche. When you’re racing against Ferrari, it’s Ferrari. And so, you know, one or two people have said to me, ‘Oh, that’s kind of a step down.’ I said, ‘Well, not in my mind,’ because to win GTD—which we won with BMW here at Daytona and Sebring—even though it might have been called GT2 or GT3 at the time, the efforts being put forth by all these manufacturers through these teams were still very impressive.”

“Maybe it’s not quite like GTP, with even more manufacturer involvement, but it’s still no walkover. It’s going to be tough. This category is tough. And personally, I’m enthused about it because it’s really RLL. Yes, with McLaren for sure, but in terms of operations on the racing side, it’s more RLL than it has been for some years. I’m happy about that. And with the guidance and contributions McLaren will make, I have no doubt that if we work hard, we can have some success.”

RLL’s brand new McLaren GT3 EVO2

Experience With Torque Sensors Pays Off

One of the newest technologies introduced to the GTD Pro class last season was the implementation of torque sensors. A torque sensor directly measures real engine output at the driveshaft, allowing BoP to be enforced more precisely and helping teams optimise power delivery—a system still relatively unfamiliar to some teams in the category, particularly those who only compete in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Despite RLL’s absence from the class in recent years, the team continued using the system in GTP competition with BMW, providing them with valuable experience managing such sensitive technology.

“I have no doubt that our experience over the last three, three and a half years in GTP is going to be valuable. Maximizing power with torque sensors is a real art and a real advantage. In previous years, we weren’t necessarily on top of that as much as we should have been, but we learned the value of it. So I think those years in the GTP—the LMDh GTP—category will help us. And now that this category is adopting the same thing, having that prior experience is definitely a plus.”

Early Driver Impressions

While the team is familiar with the technical challenges of the class, they are equally comfortable with the drivers they brought to the test.

Although not finalized, Team RLL brought three experienced drivers to Daytona—each of whom Rahal holds in high regard.

“We’re not 100% set on the driver side. Max Esterson—I’ve known him for many years—is a good young guy who’s raced in Europe and isn’t afraid to be at the sharp end. He did a very good job for us today. I’m glad to see him with us. Juri [Vips]—I’m a huge Juri fan. That guy is good. I’m hopeful we’ll make that a full-season program. But who the other drivers will be at Daytona, or the additional driver at Sebring, we’re not sure yet. Obviously, we want good guys because we want to win. So, stay tuned. But yeah, I’m excited. He’s a good young man, a hell of a race car driver, and a big talent.”

As always, the goal for the team is to win. In year one, Rahal hopes to make an immediate impact in the GTD Pro class with the McLaren platform.

“Winning in sports car racing is different from IndyCar or elsewhere. You have BoP and other factors that can influence competitiveness positively or negatively. But we’ve got John Hennick—the lead engineer at Ganassi when they won Le Mans with the Ford GT, and lead engineer at Cadillac their first year. Having John is huge—he’s smart, a great racer. And Ricardo Nault, our former IndyCar team manager, came in to take over the BMW program a year and a half or two years ago. He’s a real competitor. I think we’ve got great people. So I think there’s reason to be optimistic. BoP plays a big role, but again—we have reasons to feel good about where we’re going.”

Looking Toward the Future with McLaren—and Back at BMW

Looking ahead, there is plenty of excitement surrounding McLaren.

With a Hypercar program on the horizon, the potential for future expansion with the Papaya brand is certainly present—even for RLL.

“Of course it would be great to go back to GTP with McLaren, especially with the commitment they’re making in Europe. But I don’t know. Right now our commitment is on GTD Pro. Maybe us joining this program provides a solution for them in some respects—maybe they want to focus on WEC and Le Mans. I have no doubt whatever they produce will be strong. Being involved would be fabulous, but there’s no connection between what we’re doing now and that program at this time.”

Still, Rahal reflects fondly on the team’s successful and lengthy partnership with BMW.

As the team begins this new chapter with McLaren, it’s hard not to look back at what they accomplished together.

“We had a lot of success with BMW and met a lot of great people. A guy named Jan Hartmann, who was really the engine guy at BMW, called me the other day. He became a real promoter of RLL. Jan had been on the Formula One program.

“When we first went with BMW in ’08, it was still the old guard. Then when they stopped Formula One, all those Formula One engineers came into the GT category. You had Andreas Seidl—at BMW, then Porsche leading the Le Mans effort, then McLaren, then Audi Formula One. Unfortunately, he’s not there anymore, but Seidl, Jan Hartmann—all sharp guys and real racers coming out of F1 and into GT. They were great to work with.

“We had a lot of success in the early years: winning at Sebring two years in a row, then the 24 Hours two years in a row, plus many other races. It was a wonderful relationship. It’s not often you have a working relationship in racing that lasts 17 or 18 years. That’s pretty unique. We were very disappointed by the decision that was made, but hey—it’s their company; they’re the sponsor.

“Despite that, I think we’ll be in LMDh/GTP in years to come. Being with McLaren now is a real plus. Great people. Who knows where it may lead. Our desire has always been to stay involved in sports car racing—some of that goes back to my father racing in the ’60s and ’70s, and my own career. To have this program with McLaren in GTD Pro is a big deal, and we look forward to a long relationship.”