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.[1][2]
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 seen a progression in its featured cars. Initially, the series ran with the McLaren 570S Trophy and the new Artura Trophy. In 2024, the championship solidified its presence on the SRO Motorsports Group package. SMC Motorsport emerged as a dominant force, with Gonzalo de Andres being crowned as Artura Trophy champion for the second consecutive season. For the 2025 season, the enhanced Artura Trophy Evo was introduced, offering increased performance through improved aerodynamics, wider tyres, and a "Push-to-Pass" system boosting power from 585PS to 620PS when activated.[3] Additionally, a new Pro category for Silver-rated drivers was established to support young talent through the McLaren Trophy Academy.[4] Jayden Kelly and Michael O'Brien secured the initial championship for Pro drivers. The 2026 season is set to see continued growth with new entrants like Target Racing, aiming for record grid sizes in its fourth year.[5]
Format
The championship is a single-make championship featuring identical McLaren Artura Trophy Evo cars, designed to showcase pure 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.[4] 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).[6][7]
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.[8] 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.[9]
The scoring systems allocates points to the top 10 finishers (1st: 15 pts, 2nd: 12, 3rd: 10, down to 10th: 1). 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. The championship primarily supports the GT World Challenge Europe and features prominently at the 24 Hours of Spa.
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Jayden Kelly
Current season 
