Mercedes have announced that they will run a special historic livery at the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours to mark the German manufacturer’s first appearance at the endurance classic in 26 years.

It comes just weeks after F1 rivals McLaren confirmed plans to enter the elite hypercar class of the World Endurance Championship from 2027.

Mercedes returning to Le Mans 24 Hours for first time since 1989 victory

The Iron Lynx team, which switched from Lamborghini to Mercedes machinery ahead of the 2025 WEC season, will compete with a trio of Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 cars at next month’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The cars will run in a special silver livery inspired by the Mercedes-powered Sauber C9 car, which claimed a one-two finish at Le Mans in 1989 – Mercedes’ last appearance at the Circuit de la Sarthe.

Car #60 will be raced by the Italian trio of Matteo Cairoli, Matteo Cressoni and Claudio Schiavoni, with Martin Berry (Australia), Lin Hodenius (Netherlands) and Maxime Martin (Belgium) sharing the #61 entry.

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Father-and-son duo Brenton and Stephen Grove (Australia) will partner Luca Stolz, the only German representative in the Mercedes lineup, in car #63 at Le Mans.

Christoph Sagemmller, the head of Mercedes-AMG Motorsport, said: “For Mercedes-AMG, the start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans is a significant moment – 26 years after the brand with the star last competed.

“In 1989, Mercedes-Benz celebrated a major success with a one-two victory.

“We are paying tribute to the legendary Sauber-Mercedes C9 and this triumph from back then in a very special way.

“The three Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 represent the present in Customer Racing, but with their special Silver Arrow design inspired by the past, they also pay tribute to a piece of history.

“I am delighted that we are able to continue this history at Le Mans.”

Stefan Wendl, the head of Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing, added: “The FIA WEC project and the collaboration with Iron Lynx have been intense from the very beginning.

“We are very proud of where we are right now, because there is a clear trend and a continuous learning curve. We can build on this foundation and continue to develop.

“A race like the 24 Hours of Le Mans is not just about fast lap times, but also about the perfect cooperation between the team, technology and drivers.

“That will also be an intense task, but one that we are looking forward to.”

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McLaren announced plans last month to enter the hypercar class of the WEC from the start of the 2027 season, joining F1 rivals Ferrari, Aston Martin, Alpine as well as Porsche, Toyota, Peugeot, BMW and F1 2026 entrants Cadillac.

It will see the Woking-based team return to Le Mans, a race previously won by McLaren in 1995.

The decision to enter the WEC will see McLaren compete at Le Mans, the Indianapolis 500 and the Monaco Grand Prix – the three events comprising the so-called ‘Triple Crown’ of motorsport – from 2027.

McLaren confirmed last month that their WEC entry will come at the cost of their Formula E project, with the team set to withdraw from the all-electric series at the end of the current campaign.

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