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. 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. The championship uses a single-make format, meaning all competitors race in identical machinery on circuits throughout Europe. This emphasises driver skill over car performance.
The series has evolved its featured cars over time. Initially, the series ran with the McLaren 570S Trophy alongside the newer Artura Trophy. 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. 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.
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. Additionally, a new Pro category for Silver-rated drivers was established to support young talent through the McLaren Trophy Academy. Jayden Kelly and Michael O'Brien secured the initial championship for Pro drivers. The 2026 season is seeing continued growth with new entrants like Target Racing bringing record grid sizes in the championship's fourth year.
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.
Format The championship is a one-make championship featuring identical McLaren Artura Trophy Evo cars, designed to prioritise driving talent. The race weekend structure sees each event typically following a double-header format, providing nearly five hours of track time. Practice consists of two 60-minute sessions on the opening day. Each race day features a 15-minute pre-qualifying session followed by a 15-minute qualifying sesson. The races consist of two 50-minute races per weekend, starting with a rolling start. 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).
Teams can choose to compete with a driver pairing or as a solo entry in three main categories. The first of which is Pro, which acts as a class for Silver-rated young professional or semi-pro driver pairings. Pro-Am features a pairing of a professional (Gold/Silver/Platinum) and an amateur (Bronze) driver. The Bronze driver must qualify the car and start the races. 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.
As of 2026, the scoring system awards points to the top eight finishers (1st: 12 pts, 2nd: 9, 3rd: 7, down to 10th: 1). Push-to-Pass was introduced in 2025 and featured in the new Artura Trophy Evo car, providing 300 seconds of additional power (up to 620PS) per session. As an SRO series, the championship primarily supports the GT World Challenge Europe. As the series has grown, it has held various rounds as support races for prominent events such as the 24 Hours of Spa and 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Champions
Drivers Year Pro Cup Pro-Am Cup Am Cup Papaya Cup Artura Trophy 570S Trophy 2023 rowspan=2 rowspan=2 rowspan=1 rowspan=2 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 rowspan=1 rowspan=1
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 Portugal 2026 1 Brands Hatch Kent United Kingdom 2025 1 Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya Montmeló Spain 2023–2024, 2026–2027 3 Circuit de la Sarthe Le Mans France 2027 0 Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps Stavelot Belgium 2023–2026 4 Circuit Paul Ricard Le Castellet France 2023, 2025, 2027 2 Circuit Zandvoort Zandvoort Netherlands 2027 0 Hockenheimring Hockenheim Germany 2023 1 Misano World Circuit Misano Adriatico Italy 2023–2024, 2026–2027 3 Monza Circuit Monza Italy 2024–2026 3 Nürburgring Nürburg Germany 2024–2025 2
See also McLaren Trophy America
References
External links