Vips Headlines RLL McLaren Daytona Line-up

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing has confirmed its driver roster for a new multi-year partnership with McLaren Automotive ahead of the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, marking a significant new chapter for the Ohio-based organisation. Competing under the banner of RLL Team McLaren, the squad will field the No. 59 McLaren GT3 EVO in the fiercely competitive GTD Pro class.

The programme blends youthful promise with international pedigree. Max Esterson and Nikita Johnson have been named as the team’s full-season drivers, while Dean MacDonald and Jüri Vips will bolster the line-up for the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona. All four drivers have already sampled the new machinery, having taken part in an IMSA-sanctioned test at Daytona International Speedway last November.

For Vips, the Rolex 24 will represent a major personal milestone. The 25-year-old Estonian, formerly a Red Bull Formula 1 reserve driver, will be making his endurance racing debut at one of the sport’s most iconic events. Although best known for his single-seater background—including three IndyCar starts with RLL across the 2023 and 2024 seasons—Vips spoke positively about his first experience in GT machinery.

He highlighted the contrast between GT3 cars and the open-wheel racers that have defined his career, noting that the Daytona test provided valuable mileage and understanding of McLaren’s systems. With manufacturer support playing a key role in his acclimatisation, Vips enters the event confident and well prepared.

The 64th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, scheduled for 21–25 January, will also mark McLaren Automotive’s return to the GTD Pro category. The British marque will line up against a formidable field featuring Aston Martin, BMW, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini, Lexus, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche, underlining the scale of the challenge facing the new partnership.

Esterson, 25, arrives following a season in Formula 2 with Trident and made his IMSA debut late in 2025 at Petit Le Mans with JDC-Miller Motorsports. He described the move to sports cars as a major but welcome transition after a career spent exclusively in single-seaters, praising the strength of RLL and the opportunity to race alongside McLaren.

Johnson, meanwhile, is one of the youngest full-season drivers on the IMSA grid at just 17. The Florida native will combine his GTD Pro campaign with a programme in Indy NXT and expressed pride at helping to build what he termed a “new McLaren era” with RLL, particularly with Daytona serving as the opening round on home soil.

MacDonald, like Vips, will also make his debut in IMSA’s blue-riband event, adding further intrigue to a line-up rich in firsts. The team will next be on track at the Roar Before the Rolex 24, providing a final opportunity to fine-tune preparations.

The McLaren partnership also signals the end of an era for RLL, which had been aligned with BMW Motorsport in IMSA competition from 2009 through to 2025.

RLL Team McLaren – 2026 Rolex 24 Line-up

With a fresh manufacturer alliance and an ambitious driver roster, RLL Team McLaren enters 2026 aiming not merely to compete, but to establish itself as a long-term force in IMSA’s GTD Pro ranks.