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McLaren’s new Hypercar programme has taken a significant step forward with the completion of a Dynisma DMG-1 driver-in-the-loop simulator installation at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking.
The MCL-HY car is scheduled to mark McLaren’s return to the World Endurance Championship from 2027. With the programme now supported by Dynisma’s “race-proven” platform, the team has added a dedicated tool for vehicle development, driver preparation and engineering evaluation.
Dynisma describes the DMG-1 as one of the most realistic driver-in-the-loop simulation environments available. Its hardware is already used by teams and manufacturers competing in Formula 1, Formula 2, the WEC, IMSA and Formula E, including Dallara and the Alpine and Cadillac F1 teams.
The installation underlines the importance of simulation in a modern endurance programme, where development work must be assessed before the car reaches the circuit. McLaren’s Hypercar group will use the system to accelerate its learning process and refine its preparation for the testing and racing phases ahead.
The wider endurance landscape is also placing increasing emphasis on structured development and recovery between events, as illustrated by Manthey’s double LMGT3 podium in São Paulo.
James Barclay, McLaren Hypercar boss, said access to the simulator would be an important asset for both the engineering and driver groups as the programme develops.
“As we continue developing our Hypercar programme, access to a dedicated driver-in-the-loop simulator with the capability and fidelity of Dynisma is an important asset for our engineering and driver groups,” Barclay said.
He added that high-quality simulation would allow McLaren to accelerate learning, evaluate development directions efficiently and maximise preparation for its on-track testing programme. The correlation delivered by the system, he said, would provide valuable confidence in the work carried out in testing and racing.
Dynisma CEO Graeme Cook described the DMG-1 as a trusted platform across top-level motorsport and said the company was proud to support McLaren’s FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar programme.
“High-fidelity simulation is now fundamental to modern motorsport, with teams demanding ever greater levels of realism and correlation from their simulator environments,” Cook said.
He added that Dynisma looked forward to seeing McLaren benefit from the simulator throughout the development of its Hypercar programme.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.