PADDOCK SET FOR EUROPEAN EXPANSION WITH McLAREN TROPHY PROGRAMME       

Paddock Motorsport is set to take its first steps into full-time European competition next year, with a two-car entry planned for the revamped McLaren Trophy Europe in 2025.

The Tamworth-based team has grown rapidly since its foundation by experienced racer and businessman Martin Plowman back in 2021. The team has already become one of the largest operations within the British GT Championship, this season fielding three cars in the UK’s most prestigious GT racing championship.

While Paddock plans to continue its British racing operations into 2025 and beyond, an expansion into Europe has been on the cards for some time, and the recently reworked McLaren Trophy Europe format gives the team the perfect chance to build upon its already extensive experience with the Artura GT4 race car.

For 2025 and beyond, the Trophy will feature an upgraded version of the Artura – the McLaren Artura Trophy Evo – which will boast an impressive 585PS, revised aerodynamics, wider tyres and new push-to-pass technology capable of boosting power output temporarily to 620PS.

The championship will also feature a new Pro class aimed at Silver-graded semi-professional drivers. McLaren has also announced a new McLaren Trophy Academy talent mentoring scheme for any Silver drivers aged 26 or under who enrol in the full championship. Offering both the chance to develop and learn new skills, the scheme puts successful candidates on the ladder toward becoming a fully-fledged factory driver, as well as offering excellent testing opportunities in GT4 and beyond. The championship will also continue to offer both Pro-Am and Am categories.

The McLaren Trophy Europe features 10 races across five events, with the bulk of the fixtures taking place alongside the world-renowned Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS, putting the McLaren Trophy on the biggest GT racing stage in the world.

Legendary circuits such as Brands Hatch, Monza, Spa-Francorchamps, the Nürburgring and Circuit Paul Ricard comprise the schedule. The trip to Belgium in late June is a particularly special one as the races form part of the support package for the world-famous CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, with McLaren Trophy competitors also getting to take part in the public parade into Spa town centre for a unique experience no other event can match.

Paddock Motorsport founder Martin Plowman says: “We’ve been keen to expand into European competition for a while now, and the McLaren Trophy Europe gives us a great opportunity to do just that. We’re one of the most experienced teams in the UK when it comes to the operation of the McLaren Artura GT4, and the upgrades for the Trophy Evo spec look very exciting. The McLaren Trophy as a whole is growing quickly with the additions of a Pro class for next year and the driver development aspects. We feel it will make the championship very attractive to young drivers seeking to develop a career in GT racing. The Trophy is also a great place for amateur drivers to learn, either by sharing with a Pro, a fellow amateur driver, or going it solo for maximum track time.

“Next year promises to be an exciting one for us. We’re already in advanced talks about our British racing programmes, so for the team to get a foothold into European competition makes a lot of sense, especially when it gets Paddock Motorsport into an environment like Fanatec GT race weekends, which are truly something special.”

Paddock Motorsport has already had enquiries about the availability of its twin McLaren Arturas, so interested drivers need to act fast to secure their seat for an unmissable 2025 season. A full winter testing programme is available.