British-American LMP2 powerhouse co-owned by McLaren's Zak Brown, featuring ex-F1 driver Paul Di Resta.
United Autosports is co-owned by Zak Brown, the American CEO of McLaren Racing. The team has won the Le Mans 24 Hours LMP2 class multiple times and is one of the most successful LMP2 outfits in the world. Their American arm competes in IMSA with the same engineering standards and professionalism that defines their European operation.
Two ORECA LMP2 07-Gibson prototypes
United Autosports was founded in 2010 in Leeds, England, by racing driver Richard Dean and Zak Brown — who would later become CEO of McLaren Racing. The team built an extraordinary record in LMP3 and LMP2, eventually becoming one of the dominant forces in European LMP2 racing and at Le Mans.
Their American operation — United Autosports USA — brings the same organizational DNA to IMSA competition. Running two LMP2 entries at Sebring requires significant logistics, but the team's experience managing multi-car endurance programs across multiple continents makes this a manageable challenge.
The team's Le Mans LMP2 victories are the crown jewels of their record — winning at La Sarthe is the ultimate validation in endurance racing. That experience and prestige attracts top-level drivers to their program.
Paul Di Resta is a Scottish driver who competed in Formula 1 for Force India (now Aston Martin) from 2011 to 2013. He scored multiple points finishes and was regarded as a solid, professional F1 driver — not a superstar, but someone who extracted the maximum from a mid-field car.
His most extraordinary moment came in 2017: Di Resta hadn't raced in F1 for two years when he was called as a last-minute emergency substitute at the Hungarian Grand Prix — literally hours before the race — after Sergio Perez fell ill. Di Resta arrived at the circuit, completed the necessary briefings, and started the race in a car he had never driven. He ultimately retired but the episode demonstrated his professionalism and readiness.
Since F1, Di Resta has focused on endurance racing, building a strong LMP2 record with multiple Le Mans starts. He is exactly the type of experienced, reliable professional that LMP2 teams need for a 12-hour endurance event.
Zak Brown is the CEO of McLaren Racing, overseeing the Formula 1 team, IndyCar entry, and various other programs. His co-ownership of United Autosports creates a unique overlap — one of F1's most prominent figures also runs a customer LMP2 team. Brown is a genuine motorsport enthusiast and has competed as a gentleman driver himself in various series.
In IMSA's WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, LMP2 is the second rung of prototype racing below GTP. All LMP2 cars use the same ORECA 07 chassis with a 4.2-liter Gibson V8 engine. The class is highly competitive — usually featuring 8-12 cars — with a mix of full professionals, rising stars, and experienced gentleman drivers racing together for class wins and championship points.