Paddock launches McLaren Trophy Europe season with rising stars

April 17, 2026

Paddock Motorsport has completed its initial two-car line-up for this year’s McLaren Trophy Europe, with two exciting driver combinations ready for action.
 
Having already announced the arrival of the highly-rated Luca Magnussen – son of Le Mans legend Jan and younger brother of F1 ace Kevin – anticipation ahead of Paddock’s second season of European competition has been high for the first two cars, with a potential third entry also in the pipeline. 
 
Partnering Magnussen in the Pro class McLaren Artura Trophy Evo will be British racer Callum Davies, who switches across from a successful stint in the GT4 European Series for this year.
 
Paddock will also be gunning for the Pro-Am title, with rising star Matthew Higgins joined by GT racing newcomer David Coelho in the team’s second Artura Trophy Evo.
 
Between the first two cars, Paddock Motorsport aims to build on an impressive debut McLaren Trophy Europe season last year when its cars secured multiple class wins and the Am class title with Tim Docker handling its #78 Artura.
 
Davies already boasts significant experience of racing McLaren GT cars, having recorded podium finishes in both the British GT Championship and GT4 European Series. He began his car-racing career with Ginetta, finishing second in the 2023 Ginetta GT Championship before graduating through the GT Cup and into British GT, scoring his breakthrough podium finish at Brands Hatch in 2024. Last year he stepped up to the European stage with an Artura GT4, celebrating a podium finish at Barcelona and securing a top-10 finish in the world’s toughest GT4 championship.
 
Higgins joins the team as a highly exciting prospect. A professional karting driver with a string of successes – including becoming a two-time British champion and European champion, plus finishing third overall in the world championship – he graduated to GT racing in the GT Cup in 2024, winning the GTH category title at the first attempt. Success in Europe soon followed and he was also part of the winning GT4 team at last year’s 12 Hours of Mugello as well as impressing in selected GT4 European Series outings. The son of 10-time Rally America champion and Subaru factory ace David Higgins, Matthew will undoubtedly be one to watch in the Trophy this year.
 
Coelho is another driver with rallying links, having competed in events around Europe and in his native Trinidad and Tobago. He has gained circuit racing experience in a Mazda MX-5 across recent seasons and has established himself as a frontrunner in the Caribbean Spec Miata Series. He will be making both his GT and European circuit racing debut this year alongside Higgins.

Callum Davies says: “This will be my fourth year of racing a GT4-based car, and I feel the McLaren Trophy Europe is a good step up on the ladder. It’s halfway to a GT3 in terms of power and aero, and the grid looks like it’s going to be very strong this year so we’ll be in for some great competition. I had a few days testing in Portimão and the car is similar to the Artura GT4 in driving style but you’re arriving at the corners a lot quicker due to the extra power, so that takes some preparation and you have to be a bit more sensitive with the throttle as you have GT3 levels of power without GT3 rear tyres. I’m looking forward to racing with Luca. We’re both young, quick drivers and I think we’ll learn from each other. We want wins, poles and fastest laps and the aim has to be to go for the Pro class championship.”
 
Matthew Higgins says: “I’m really excited about this season and joining Paddock Motorsport for the McLaren Trophy Europe. After previous success in karting, I am excited to take that to the next level in GT racing and show what I can do on a highly competitive grid in front of a world-class manufacturer. I’m looking forward to competing in a sprint-style weekend where I can have my own qualifying and show my raw speed. It’s also very equal, with everybody in the same cars, it’s a raw drivers’ championship. Obviously, it’s a different world to kart racing where you have everything to yourself, but I really enjoy sharing a car with a team-mate and the Pro-Am element will be new to me this year, but I’m excited for the challenge. I already do a lot of coaching with young drivers through my Matthew Higgins Driver Academy programme, so I’m looking forward to transferring those skills into this programme. David and I have already built a good relationship, and I can’t wait to get going.”
 
David Coelho says: “This year is going to be a real challenge and something very different for me, but I can’t wait. I know David Higgins from rallying and he suggested the McLaren Trophy may be a good option for me, so we arranged a test at a cold and damp Silverstone and I loved it. It’s like a dream come true to drive a car like the Artura Trophy. It has so much power and so much straight-line speed, it’s quite a machine. Matthew is a hugely talented young driver and a great coach. We already get on very well and he’s training me with data and in the sim and I’m learning so much already. I gelled very quickly with Martin [Plowman] and the entire team and feel at home already. My goal is to be at the sharp end of the Am field and if we can be quick and consistent, we could end the year with a really great result.”
 
Paddock Motorsport head Martin Plowman adds: “I’m delighted to confirm our two McLaren Trophy Europe crews for this season and I’m massively excited to see what they can achieve. We learned a lot from our first season in Europe and how to get the best from the new Artura Trophy Evo, and we’ll be bringing those lessons into this year and looking to improve in all areas and fight for overall race wins from the start of the season
 
“In Luca and Callum we have two hungry young drivers with great track records. They will no doubt have their eyes set on making a mark this season. Matthew is a standout young driver with huge ambition, and I have no doubt he’ll prove himself to be a real pro across the course of this year. David has impressed us with his attitude and skill in testing so far. Obviously, the Artura is a fair bit different to what he’s been used to but he’s learning fast alongside Matthew and could well be one to watch.”
 
The McLaren Trophy Europe season consists of five rounds, beginning at Monza in Italy over the weekend of May 29-31 before taking in the legendary Spa-Francorchamps, Misano and Barcelona before the season finale at Portimão in October. News on Paddock's third McLaren Trophy Europe entry will be shared soon.

Magnussen and Davies secure McLaren Trophy Europe title for Paddock at Portimão

October 20, 2026
Paddock Motorsport celebrated a dramatic title victory in the finale of McLaren Trophy Europe at Portimão last weekend (17/18 October), as Luca Magnussen and Callum Davies dug deep to clinch the Pro class crown by half a point in the Algarve. The #23 McLaren Artura crew fought off unexpected challenges including thunderstorms and unlucky penalties across two thrilling races to leave the final weekend on top of the standings, with the eventual winning margin for the year coming down to just 0.6s in the final race. Another Paddock Motorsport driver, David Coelho (below, left), scooped the Papaya Cup award with a Pro-Am podium for himself and Matthew Higgins. The pair also did enough to claim second in the Pro-Am championship points.

Magnussen and Davies extend McLaren Trophy lead at Barcelona

October 6, 2026
Paddock Motorsport enjoyed another silverware-studded McLaren Trophy Europe outing last weekend, leaving Barcelona with a trio of trophies and an extended Pro Championship lead. A superb second and a fighting fifth across the two races was enough for Luca Magnussen and Callum Davies to extend their points lead in the Pro class with two races remaining. In Pro-Am, Kevin Rohrscheidt and Maxi Tarillion claimed third and second places, while David Coelho and Matthew Higgins stayed consistent right behind them, adding a pair of fourth place finishes that keeps the pair in third spot in the class championship. The weekend proved to be a challenging event overall, with persistent and heavy rain leading to a major delay in the timetable at the Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya and the loss of any preparatory track time on Sunday.

Pace, progress and Team of the Weekend for Paddock in British GT finale

September 28, 2026
Paddock Motorsport turned heads across the British GT season finale at Brands Hatch last weekend; fielding a Porsche 911 GT3 for the first time, producing a rapid GT4 performance and landing a Team of the Weekend award. The Paddock team went into the two-hour race in Kent with a very different look to usual, with Mark Smith swapping out the team’s regular McLaren GT3 for the all-black Porsche 911 GT3 R, which would compete alongside the proven GT4 McLaren combination of Revie Lake and Blake Angliss. Despite the obvious challenges of a major switch of GT3 machinery within a very short timescale, Paddock still excelled, with Smith and Martin Plowman producing a near-flawless run to the flag to bank both useful experience and a haul of points to finish the campaign on a high note.

Paddock ready to break new ground in Brands British GT finale

September 25, 2026
Paddock Motorsport will take on a fresh challenge in this weekend’s British GT finale at Brands Hatch, as Mark Smith returns the Porsche brand to the field for the first time in a year. Smith has facilitated the switch from the team’s usual McLaren 720S GT3 Evo to the 911 GT3 R, which Paddock’s engineering team has already worked wonders to prepare. Alongside technical staff from top German Porsche outfit Black Falcon, Paddock has essentially rebuilt the 911 from the ground up, with the new car making its debut in the hands of Smith during the recent GT Cup event at the Kent track. Once again stripped and prepared, Smith and Plowman will make their British GT debut in it this weekend. Obviously, the switch in machinery brings a host of new challenges, with Smith and Plowman realistic about their prospects in new surroundings for the final race of the year. Paddock will also handle the operation of the McLaren Artura GT4 shared by Revie Lake and Blake Angliss, which made headlines with a breakthrough victory last time out at Donington Park. Things will be made more difficult this time around with the pair having to serve the maximum pit stop compensation time following the result, but the pace the duo have shown since joining the Paddock team means hopes are high that they can still fight for some big points.

Paddock to run Porsche for British GT finale

September 18, 2026
Mark Smith will return the Porsche brand to the British GT3 field for the season finale at Brands Hatch, with Paddock Motorsport taking over the operation of a 992-generation Porsche 911 GT3 R. After almost four full British GT Championship seasons of competition with Paddock’s McLaren 720S GT3 Evo, Smith has opted to evaluate additional opportunities ahead of next season and has facilitated the switch to the Porsche. Despite the move, Paddock’s strong relationship with McLaren remains unaffected, with the team still planning to operate GT3, GT4 and McLaren Trophy Europe programmes with the Woking brand in 2027 and beyond. The 911 GT3 R will make its competitive debut with Smith and Martin Plowman at the wheel in the forthcoming GT Cup event at Brands Hatch this coming weekend, before the pair will contest the British GT finale with the 911 at the Kent venue over September 26/27. It means Paddock will return to full strength for the last race of the season, with the Porsche slotting in beside the race-winning McLaren Artura GT4 entry of Revie Lake and Blake Angliss. Having become regular top-five challengers with the McLaren across recent seasons – including scoring their breakthrough GT3 Pro-Am podium at Oulton Park this year – the switch to Porsche machinery for Smith and Plowman allows the team to evaluate additional GT3 programmes ahead of next season, alongside its plans to compete with McLaren in both British and European categories. Paddock has now taken delivery of the 911, which was the last Porsche to feature in British GT’s top class in 2025 when it was shared by Nick Jones and Sven Müller and run by Team Parker Racing. To aid the technical switch for the two events, Paddock’s engineering team will be bolstered by selected staff from leading German team Black Falcon, which has extensive experience of competing with the Porsche 911 GT3 in events such as the Nürburgring 24 Hours and German GT Cup. The two teams worked together during a recent test at the Nürburgring to get an initial feel for the project and the Black Falcon staff will be embedded within Paddock’s HQ for the duration of the two race events. The Porsche 911 GT3 R features a 4.2-litre flat-six Boxer engine capable of producing around 565bhp (dependent on Balance of Performance), a six-speed sequential transmission and weighs 1250kg.

Breakthrough GT4 glory for Paddock after dominant Donington display

September 7, 2026
Paddock Motorsport produced a flawless performance at Donington Park last weekend, with Revie Lake and Blake Angliss flying to both a breakthrough win for themselves and a maiden overall British GT4 success for the team. The #84 McLaren Artura proved unbeatable across mixed conditions in the Midlands, with Angliss and Lake each putting in a star turn to lead the two-hour British GT race from lights to flag, eventually securing the sort of crushing win their pace of late has deserved. After disappointments from promising positions at both Spa-Francorchamps and Snetterton, there would be no misfortune this time as the Paddock McLaren started and ended the weekend strong. After going fastest of all in opening practice, Lake and Angliss originally qualified third on the grid, but were promoted to pole after the two Ginettas ahead were excluded for a technical infringement. Even then success was far from guaranteed, with heavy rain before the race meaning the majority of the field lined up on wet tyres, but knowing the returning sun would quickly dry the track.

Full focus on the 4: Paddock sets sights on GT4 honours at Donington

September 4, 2026
Paddock Motorsport will set its full focus on fighting for GT4 honours at this weekend’s British GT Championship event at Donington Park. With the team’s McLaren GT3 entry skipping the penultimate race of the season, Paddock will throw its full weight behind the Artura GT4 shared by Revie Lake and Blake Angliss as the team continues to hunt success regardless. Lake and Angliss have been something of a form pairing since joining the Paddock team from the mid-season visit to Spa-Francorchamps, even if luck has so far not been on their side. Even though Paddock took over the operation of the ex-Mahiki Racing Artura only days before Spa, Lake and Angliss qualified the car on the front row of a giant GT4 grid which combined the British GT cars with those of the French GT and Alpine Cup series. After that Lake grabbed the race lead and looked set to challenge for the win before a gearbox glitch struck. Last time out at Snetterton, the pair again showed their speed with Lake placing the Artura third on the grid for Race 1, only to have his race ended before the end of the first sector after being harpooned by a Ginetta heading into Turn 2. Similar misfortune befell Angliss in Race 2, as an early puncture meant an additional pit stop and cost the crew a lap. The team will be hoping that their third event together proves the charm this weekend, with the Artura fully refreshed and ready to go again, this time with the hope that its undoubted qualifying pace can translate into a strong result for Lake and Angliss.

Podium pace goes unrewarded for Paddock amid Snetterton setbacks

August 17, 2026
Paddock Motorsport endured a frustratingly fruitless weekend at Snetterton, despite the team producing arguably its strongest overall British GT Championship performance to date. Both Paddock’s McLaren GT3 and Artura GT4 crews showed performance that on any other weekend would have carried them to the podium. However, through no fault of their own, both cars suffered setbacks that meant the team received no reward for its hard work. Mark Smith and Martin Plowman were fighting for what would have been their breakthrough overall British GT3 podium in Sunday’s opening race, with Smith having just taken third spot overall on track when the #9 McLaren was taken out, clattering the barriers and leaving the result in ruins. Even though the team worked wonders to repair the resulting steering, suspension, bodywork and toe-link damage – plus fully reset the car’s geometry – in time for Plowman to take the start of Race 2, a gearbox failure directly traced back to the earlier damage prevented them from even salvaging some points from the event. The bad luck wasn’t restricted to the GT3 side of the garage either, with Revie Lake and Blake Angliss twice losing a shot at a strong result to freak issues. Lake had qualified the #84 Artura third for Sunday’s opener and looked set to challenge for a trophy, but the car’s race was ended after just two corners when Lake was harpooned by and out-of-control Ginetta heading into Wilson hairpin. Again, the team did well to repair the damage, allowing Angliss to start from ninth in the finale, but his charge was halted by an early puncture that cost an additional pit stop to repair. The sole silver lining was a fourth place in GT4 Silver, but it was a tale of what could have been.

Snetterton sprints set to kick-start second half of British GT season

August 14, 2026
Paddock Motorsport will resume its charge for British GT Championship silverware at Snetterton this weekend, with the return of the series’ sprint format giving double the chance to impress.  After a two-month break since the last event at Spa-Francorchamps, Mark Smith and Martin Plowman will reunite aboard the #9 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo, while Paddock will also continue the operation of the ex-Mahiki Racing McLaren Artura GT4 shared by Revie Lake and Blake Angliss. The return to action in Norfolk marks the second and final sprint event of the season, where the usual standalone race is replaced by two flat-out 60-minute sprints. Traditionally, these have been the races that Smith and Plowman have excelled in, with the pair scoring their strongest British GT result yet in the last sprint round at Oulton Park, finishing fourth overall and securing a place on the GT3 Pro-Am podium for the first time. Unlike the longer solo races, each driver gets a chance to qualify for, and finish, one of the sprints. Smith will qualify the GT3 for Race 1 and take the wheel for the start, before Plowman sets the grid slot for Race 2 before handing to Smith for the run to the flag. With minimal strategy involved, sheer speed is first and foremost, with Paddock’s McLaren faring well in the timesheets so far this year. With its prime race engine restored ahead of the last round at Spa, the car’s pace was masked by the sheer traffic of the 55-car combined grid as British GT mixed with the French GT Championship and Alpine Cup. The pair banked solid points for eighth place overall in what became a race of survival – maintaining fifth in the GT3 Pro-Am points as a result. With a more manageable 24 cars expected around Snetterton’s 300 Circuit this weekend there will be plenty of extra space to attack. The three-mile Norfolk venue is second only to Spa in terms of the longest lap of the British GT season, and it’s a track Smith in particular has excelled at. The American driver celebrated three outright wins from four GT Cup races there last season, while he and Plowman also scored an impressive fifth place during last season’s British GT meeting. Hopes are high the duo can continue to build on that sort of form this weekend. Likewise, Lake and Angliss have also shown great promise since switching to run under the Paddock banner. Despite their move coming just before the last round in Belgium, the pair qualified on the front row in GT4 and were leading the race before a gearbox gremlin denied them. With the technical team enjoying additional time to service and re-prepare the Artura, the duo should be ones to watch in the GT4 hunt.

Podiums aplenty for Paddock in McLaren Trophy Europe scorcher at Misano

July 22, 2026
Paddock Motorsport added yet more silverware to its ever-growing McLaren Trophy Europe collection after another stellar performance at Misano last weekend, with Mark Smith scoring the team’s first class victory of the season while Luca Magnussen and Callum Davies continued to prove their Pro class title credentials. Away from his British GT duties with the team, American driver Smith made an instant impact on his Trophy debut in the third of Paddock Motorsport’s McLaren Arturas in Italy, grabbing an Am class triumph in the opening race. That contributed to a total of five podium finishes out of a possible six across the weekend for the team. One of those came in the Pro class, where Magnussen and Davies battled to their fourth outright podium of the season, a result that keeps the duo out front in the championship points. After impressive results at both Monza and Spa-Francorchamps, the squad travelled back to Italy for two races held in intense summer heat at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. Magnussen and Davies were reunited in the #23 Pro class Artura alongside Matthew Higgins and David Coelho in the #50 Pro-Am car and Smith’s Am entry.