When we talk about legends of motorsports, the McLaren F1 GTR will always find its way into the conversation. This specific chassis, the GTR #11R, has a history that was a part of not only McLaren’s motorsport program, but Mercedes-AMG’s as well.
Over the course of three years, only 28 McLaren F1 GTRs were produced. Within that three-year period, there were three evolutions. The short tail produced in 1995, which became famous after securing the 24 Hours of Le Mans overall win. An updated short tail, which featured revised aerodynamics and lighter materials and was produced in 1996.
Lastly, the long tail which was produced in 1997 and featured an extended rear end that provided extra downforce. Each of the 28 chassis carries its own importance, and all McLaren F1s are special, but what makes the #11R stand out amongst the rest? Well, for that, we look towards AMG Mercedes and the LMGT1 race class.
A Secret Partnership… Without McLaren Knowing
With Porsche, Ferrari, and McLaren all having a dog in the fight for the 1996 24 Hours of Le Mans, Mercedes AMG watched in the shadows, developing engines, aero, and parts of their own. Behind closed doors the AMG team was fast-tracking the development of their own LMGT1 racer, the CLK GTR. With the continued success of the McLaren F1 GTR on track and their deadline quickly approaching, Mercedes had the brilliant idea to acquire a retired F1 GTR in secret for their own testing.
This retired car was none other than chassis #11R, which had some success of its own and was viewed as a fast and consistent chassis while in service. This made it the perfect test bed for Mercedes. This acquisition and all of Mercedes’ testing were done in total secrecy. Many of the events surrounding the development come down to eyewitness testimonies throughout the years as Mercedes AMG has never officially made any statements on the matter.
The Ultimate Frankenstein Racer
The story allegedly goes something like this, Mercedes ripped the BMW-produced 6.1L V12 engine out and transplanted a modified Mercedes-AMG M120 V12 back into it. The legendary F1 body was then ripped apart and reassembled with prototype aero pieces and body panels that would later become the CLK GTR. Once ready, this Frankensteined race car found its first laps on track at Circuito del Jarama, where it showed promising lap times before it shunted with Bernd Schneider behind the wheel, ending the program altogether.
With the engineering experience (allegedly) gained from this program and countless hours studying the chassis, aero, and power output, Mercedes would go on to create their CLK GTR, which not only showed great promise throughout the season but took the overall Drivers’ Championship with Bernd Schneider and the overall Teams’ Championship for AMG Mercedes in 1997.
Return to McLaren and a New Life
After the crash, the #11R found its way back to McLaren, where it underwent its restoration. This chassis also saw a very rare conversion, making it road legal. Since this restoration, the #11R has found its way into a private collection in Europe, where it sits and is shown with a full race livery, paying homage to the life it used to live.
A key feature of this chassis can be seen right on the front end, the headlights. These “bubble” style headlights were designed to give McLaren’s drivers added vision during the night portion of races by having angled headlights in multiple directions. Only a few chassis featured this development due to it being quickly superseded by the more well known, more aerodynamic flat headlights.
Full Circle at Villa d’Este
This year at Villa d’Este, presented by BMW Classic, we were able to admire and hear this beauty firsthand. The best part? Just under thirty years later, it found itself parked just feet away from its CLK GTR counterpart.
