The plain fact is that the McLaren F1 was never designed to race, let alone win anything. The design brief had been to create the ultimate driver's car for the road.

However, it wasn't long before the world of sports car racing - which always seems to go in cycles - beat a path to the McLaren factory. In the early '90s the era of the big, expensive prototype racers was over and a new 'gentleman's' championship - the BPR Global Endurance Series (formed in 1994) had reinvigorated the production-based GT category. This series eventually morphed into today's FIA GT Championship and was an amalgamation of the Porsche Supercup and Venturi Trophy.

The potential of a race-bred, advanced carbon composite car in a field of stock Porsche 911s and Ferrari F40s was not lost on some early F1 customers who pressured McLaren to develop the car for competition. Leading the calls were BPR frontrunners Ray Bellm and Thomas Bscher. McLaren, initially reluctant, carried out a feasability study and decided to push ahead. Gordon Murray set about modifying the F1 and factory-built and race-ready cars designated as the F1-GTR were supplied, fully compliant with BPR regulations. McLaren also decided that, if it was going to supply racing cars, it would also supply first class back-up. A team of McLaren engineers were despatched to every significant race with a truck load of spares and expertise to help the private teams.

In fact, the BPR rulebook dictated that very little modification was required to the stock road car. The ride height was lowered by between 40 to 45mm and rigid aluminium suspension bushes were fitted in place of the rubber production units. Carbon brake discs and larger diameter (18-inch) OZ magnesium wheels were added. A modified engine (the 'Type S70/3 GTR') was fitted because of regulations that limited output by the addition of a roof-mounted air restrictor (ironically, BPR regs saw to it that the F1-GTR was slower in a straight line than the F1 road car). Bodywork changes included side skirts, modifications to the nose to accommodate the deep front spoiler and air intakes. At the rear, a huge adjustable racing wing with electronic stabilisers was mounted. Weight was further reduced by stripping-out all of the road car refinements unnecessary for racing. The windscreen and side windows were replaced with lightweight but ultra-tough Lexan Polycarbonate.

Amongst the private teams that ran the GTR in its debut season were Bellm and Bscher's Gulf-sponsored GTC team, Dave Price Racing and Mach One. The GTR took an emphatic ten victories during the season, literally sweeping aside the challenge from the Porsche 911, Ferrari F40 and F355. Following on from wins at Jerez, Paul Ricard, Monza, Jarama, Nurburgring and Donnington, McLaren prepared the car to cope with a 24 hour race and a seven-car assault on the 1995 Le Mans in June was launched. F1 GTRs came 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 13th - the finest Le Mans debut by any marque and only the third time in history that a debutant car had won outright.

Returning to the BPR series, there were further wins at Suzuka, Silverstone, Nogaro and Zhuhai later in the year. The McLaren F1-GTR had taken the sports car racing world by storm.

Back at the Genesis factory, McLaren Cars celebrated the Le Mans wins by preparing five specially modified road-going F1s (designated the F1-LM - see picture, previous page)

Following an amazing first season with the F1 GTR, McLaren were keen on retaining their dominant form in the following year. A number of revisions were made to help stay ahead of the Ferrari F40 GTE's and the expected threat of the F50 GT. Nine brand new '96-spec cars were built and two '95's updated at the factory. Ground clearance was dropped a further 15mm at the front and a more aggressive chin spoiler fiited, stretching the overall length by 80mm. The V12 BMW engine was not modified but an uprated gearbox with a lightweight magnesium casing was developed. This reduced the overall weight to 1012kg.

During 1996 season, the F1 GTR notched up nine wins in the BPR series. There were also five wins in the All-Japan GT Championship. Unfortunately, the previous years Le Mans feat was not repeated, although McLarens came in 4th, 5th 6th, 8th, 9th and 11th.

Ahead of the McLarens at Le Mans was the new Porsche 911 GT1. Although Porsche claimed it to be an interpretation of the production GT rules, it was essentially a prototype GT car. The Porsche also took part as a 'guest entry' in the Brands Hatch, Spa and Zhuhai rounds of the BPR series, easily winning all three. However, as the car was not strictly a production GT, the BPR organisers did not allow the manufacturer to score any points.

Encouraged by the results and keen to make a full return to racing the Stuttgart marque announced its intention to produce a road-going version and seek type-approval for the 1997 championship. GT racing was about to evolve once more, moving away from production-based chassis towards 'scratch-built' machines and McLaren would have no alternative but to radically alter the F1-GTR to remain competitive.