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.

A strong previous meeting in Barcelona gave the Pro duo of Magnussen and Davies the upper hand in the championship fight heading to Portimão, knowing that a consistent final two races would be enough to seal the crown. The experienced Joe Osborne joined Martin Plowman in Paddock’s third car to complete a three-pronged attack for the final round.

Magnussen started well with third in Saturday’s Qualifying session, keeping his two main title rivals in sight ahead of the first race that afternoon. The Dane fell to fifth during a frenetic start but stayed clear of early drama, overtaking Gregor Jeets at Turn 3 before handing later over to Davies. However, an uncharacteristic communication mistake during the pit window led to the #23 being handed a 40-second penalty for stopping outside of the mandatory window, dropping them to ninth in class despite finishing a strong fourth on the road outright.
 
Higgins put in a mighty stint in the second half of the race to climb from fourth to second in Pro-Am for himself and Coelho, securing their fourth podium of the campaign. The best start of all was that of Osborne in the #52 Artura, who charged up to second place from sixth by the first turn. He and Plowman were hindered by an additional 10 seconds of compensation time spent in their pitstop for being an invitational entry, eventually recovering from 11th to eighth.
 
On Sunday morning, Higgins put in an exceptional Qualifying display to put the #50 McLaren fifth overall, Davies securing eighth and Plowman on row six for the second race, which began in tricky conditions as a thunderstorm gathered momentum overhead. What followed was an intense contest, Higgins charging through to third with slick overtakes including a fine move under braking on Jon Lancaster, then passing Patrick Schober at the hairpin for third prior to mandatory pitstops.
 
Behind, Magnussen replaced Davies with the #23 running in seventh and moved into the prime seat for the Pro title when their chasing rival Largim Ali retired from the race with six minutes on the clock. However, the drama wasn’t over, as a five-second track limits penalty meant Magnussen had to drive the final lap of his life to stay ahead of Lourenco Monteiro on what would be a title-deciding countback. Magnussen gave it everything he had, stringing together an awesome lap under the circumstances to hold the place by just 0.6s – enough to clinch the Pro championship in incredible fashion – the final top three in the class were covered by just a single point.
 
Coelho battled hard to claim fourth for himself and Higgins in Pro-Am, but the former was rewarded with McLaren Trophy Europe’s Papaya Cup, for mature drivers with less experience. Coelho and Higgin’s consistent campaign also helped them to second in the final Pro-Am final standings.
 
Star showings by Osborne and Plowman brought the #52 car up from 12th to fourth overall, Osborne showcasing his experience with some impressive overtaking in the final minutes.

Luca Magnussen said: “It was an incredible finish. I was being told by the team that it wasn’t quite enough and that I needed to push on the final lap, so I went for it and pulled two seconds out of nowhere. It’s an amazing result for us and thanks to the whole team at Paddock Motorsport for their support this season. To be champion just feels incredible!”
 
Callum Davies said: “To be honest, I don’t know how we managed to win it at the end! On Sunday we weren’t the fastest out there, but with the track limits penalty on the last lap we needed to find pace from somewhere, and that’s exactly what Luca did. He found that extra time out of nowhere when it mattered most, used every last drop of push-to-pass, and we couldn’t be happier to be champions.”
 
David Coelho said: “An amazing weekend all around. I never thought second in our championship was possible for us but here we are. Lots of drama up and down the paddock. I’m so happy for our team. They have been amazing. I'm very happy for Luca and Callum and the crew for bringing it home in the most dramatic fashion, and happy for Matt and I. He is a very special driver, a great team-mate and now a friend. A year of many firsts. I hope to do it again. Thanks McLaren. Thanks Paddock. Special thanks to the wonderful Plowman family and the whole team. Also thanks Ady [Tye, team engineer]. You will be sorely missed!.”
 
Matthew Higgins said: “Overall, it was a great weekend for David and myself, as well as the team as a whole – bringing home the Pro championship and myself and David P2 in Pro-Am. The weekend really highlighted the massive progress David has had throughout the year, from no previous GT experience to where he is now is amazing. Hopefully we can build on this momentum into 2027. A special thanks to the whole team for providing us with a great car at each round, and above all creating an incredible environment to be around.”
 
Paddock Motorsport team founder Martin Plowman added: “What a weekend, what a season it’s been! The drama around those last few laps was so intense for the entire team as we went into that final race on the back foot a bit and we were all so determined to fight back. I’m so delighted for Luca and Callum, who fully deserve the title after an incredibly consistent season in a really demanding championship. Also, David and Matthew have been superb to work with all season so I’m really pleased that they managed to score second in Pro-Am with David becoming Papaya Cup champion. I’m incredibly proud of the entire team and what we have achieved this year, and now the work starts to come back even stronger for next season.”
 
Paddock Motorsport now begins its winter period where preparations for 2027 will ramp up.

View more

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.

5, 3, 2, 1... Paddock secures stunning McLaren Trophy haul at Spa

June 29, 2026
Paddock Motorsport beat the heat to claim five podium finishes across its three cars in two scorching McLaren Trophy Europe races at Spa-Francorchamps, earning one Team of the Weekend award in the process. The stunning haul of a total 11 pieces of silverware was split across the trio of Luca Magnussen and Callum Davies’ Pro class Artura Trophy Evo and the Pro-Am entries shared by David Coelho/Matthew Higgins and Maximilian Tarillion/Kevin Rohrscheidt. All three Paddock crews appeared on the podium at least once, with Magnussen and Davies claiming a pair of third places – the second taken after a stunning charge from the back of the grid – Tarillion and Rohrscheidt taking a third and second, and Coelho and Higgins scoring their breakthrough podium with second place in Race 1.