McLaren Trophy Europe
 McLaren Trophy Europe logo since 2023 | |
| Category | Sports car racing |
|---|---|
| Region | Europe |
| Inaugural season | 2023 |
| Classes | Pro Pro-Am Am |
| Manufacturers | McLaren |
| Engine suppliers | McLaren Automotive |
| Tyre suppliers | Pirelli |
| Current champions | .svg.png){kind=small} Jayden Kelly Michael O'Brien |
| Teams' champion | Greystone GT [Pro] |
| Official website | mclarentrophyeurope |
 Current season | |
The McLaren Trophy Europe is a European sports car racing championship organised by the SRO Motorsports Group (SRO). The series features two drivers competing in McLaren Artura Trophy cars during 50-minute races. Participants can enter one of three classes: Pro, Pro-Am, or Am. Previously, the series allowed the use of McLaren 570S Trophy cars, but starting in 2025, it has transitioned to a one-make championship. Additionally, the series introduced the Papaya Cup, which provides an extra title for inexperienced Am drivers. The SRO awards championship titles to the top-scoring drivers and teams at the end of the season.
History
The championship launched in 2023. McLaren Automotive established it as a customer racing series for both amateur and professional drivers, racing in identical McLaren cars.[1] The series is an evolution of McLaren's GT racing programs and is designed as a stepping stone for Bronze and Silver-rated drivers transitioning from GT4 to GT3 racing.[2] The championship uses a single-make format, meaning all competitors race in identical machinery on circuits throughout Europe.[1] This emphasises driver skill over car performance.[2]
The series has seen a progression in its featured cars.[3] Initially, the series ran with the McLaren 570S Trophy alongside the newer Artura Trophy.[4] In 2024, the series solidified its presence on the SRO Motorsports Group package, primarily as a support race for the GT World Challenge Europe, who undertook organisational responsibilities of the championship.[3] The Spanish team, SMC Motorsport, emerged as a dominant force in the early years, with Gonzalo de Andres being crowned Artura Trophy champion for the first two consecutive seasons.[5]
For the 2025 season, the enhanced Artura Trophy Evo was introduced, turning the series into a one-make championship, offering increased performance through improved aerodynamics, wider tyres, and a "Push-to-Pass" system boosting power from 585PS to 620PS when activated.[4] Additionally, a new Pro category for Silver-rated drivers was established to support young talent through the McLaren Trophy Academy.[6] Jayden Kelly and Michael O'Brien secured the initial championship for Pro drivers.[5] The 2026 season is seeing continued growth with new entrants like Target Racing bringing record grid sizes in the championship's fourth year.[7]
At the 2026 24 Hours of Spa, it was announced that, alongside the debut of the McLaren MCL-HY Hypercar at the Circuit de la Sarthe for the 2027 24 Hours of Le Mans, the McLaren Trophy Europe, with guest entries from McLaren Trophy America and other McLaren GT3 and GT4 customer teams, would run the championship’s third and fourth rounds as part of the event’s support package for the first time.[8]
Format
The championship is a one-make championship featuring identical McLaren Artura Trophy Evo cars, designed to prioritise driving talent.[1] The race weekend structure sees each event typically following a double-header format, providing nearly five hours of track time.[1] Practice consists of two 60-minute sessions on the opening day.[1] Each race day features a 15-minute pre-qualifying session followed by a 15-minute qualifying sesson.[1] The races consist of two 50-minute races per weekend, starting with a rolling start.[6] During the races there are mandatory pit stops for driver changes which occur within a designated window (typically the 20th–30th minute for Pro pairings).[9]
Teams can choose to compete with a driver pairing or as a solo entry in three main categories.[1] The first of which is Pro, which acts as a class for Silver-rated young professional or semi-pro driver pairings.[10] Pro-Am features a pairing of a professional (Gold/Silver/Platinum) and an amateur (Bronze) driver.[6] The Bronze driver must qualify the car and start the races.[6] Cars in the Am class are exclusively for Bronze-rated amateur drivers, who can also compete for the Papaya Cup if they have limited racing experience.[2]
The scoring systems allocates points to the top 10 finishers (1st: 15 pts, 2nd: 12, 3rd: 10, down to 10th: 1).[3] Push-to-Pass was introduced for 2025, featured in the new Artura Trophy Evo car, and provides 300 seconds of additional power (up to 620PS) per session.[3] The championship primarily supports the GT World Challenge Europe and features prominently at the 24 Hours of Spa.[9]
Champions
Drivers
| Year | Pro Cup | Pro-Am Cup | Am Cup | Papaya Cup | Artura Trophy | 570S Trophy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | N/a | N/a | N/a | N/a |  Gonzalo de Andrés Tommy Pintos |
David Foster Bradley Ellis |
| 2024 |  Erik Behrens |
Gonzalo de Andrés Alejandro Geppert |
Ryan James Oliver Webb | |||
| 2025 | Jayden Kelly Michael O'Brien |
Ryan James Oliver Webb |
Tim Docker |
 Klaus Halsig |
N/a | N/a |
Teams
| Year | Overall |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Greystone GT |
| 2024 | SMC Motorsport |
| 2025 | Greystone GT [Pro] |
Circuits
- Bold denotes a circuit is used in the 2026 season.
- Italic denotes a circuit will be used in the 2027 season.
| Circuit | Location | Country | Last length used | Season(s) | Races held |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algarve International Circuit | Portimão | .svg.png){kind=small} Portugal |
4.653 km (2.891 mi) | 2026 | 1 |
| Brands Hatch | Kent | United Kingdom |
3.916 km (2.433 mi) | 2025 | 1 |
| Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya | Montmeló | Spain |
4.657 km (2.894 mi) | 2023–2024, 2026 | 3 |
| Circuit de la Sarthe | Le Mans |  France |
13.626 km (8.467 mi) | 2027 | 0 |
| Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps | Stavelot | .svg.png){kind=small} Belgium |
7.004 km (4.352 mi) | 2023–2026 | 4 |
| Circuit Paul Ricard | Le Castellet | France |
5.770 km (3.585 mi) | 2023, 2025, 2027 | 2 |
| Circuit Zandvoort | Zandvoort |  Netherlands |
4.259 km (2.646 mi) | 2027 | 0 |
| Hockenheimring | Hockenheim | Germany |
4.574 km (2.842 mi) | 2023 | 1 |
| Misano World Circuit | Misano Adriatico |  Italy |
4.226 km (2.626 mi) | 2023–2024, 2026 | 3 |
| Monza Circuit | Monza | Italy |
5.793 km (3.600 mi) | 2024–2026 | 3 |
| Nürburgring | Nürburg | Germany |
5.148 km (3.199 mi) | 2024–2025 | 2 |
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "New Pro-Am McLaren Trophy championship to feature bespoke Artura race car at Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS events in 2023". GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS. Archived from the original on 19 May 2025. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
- 1 2 3 Goodwin, Graham (29 July 2022). "New McLaren Trophy Europe Set To Support GT World Challenge In 2023". www.dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "McLaren Trophy". cars.mclaren.com. Retrieved 4 November 2025.
- 1 2 "2023 McLaren Artura Trophy - Images, Specifications and Information". Ultimatecarpage.com. Retrieved 4 November 2025.
- 1 2 "McLaren Trophy Europe". McLaren Trophy Europe. 15 October 2025. Retrieved 4 November 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 "McLaren Trophy". cars.mclaren.com. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
- ↑ "Target Racing enters McLaren Trophy Europe for two car attack". McLaren Trophy Europe. 8 January 2026. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
- ↑ Wane, Ewan (24 June 2026). "McLaren Trophy Europe To Support 2027 Le Mans 24 Hours". www.dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
- 1 2 Kilbey, Stephen (5 August 2024). "2025 McLaren Trophy Europe Calendar Revealed". www.dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
- ↑ "Oliver & Finn Heaton". Greystone GT. Retrieved 28 January 2026.