McLaren Trophy Europe champions crowned in Barcelona

The 2024 McLaren Trophy, Europe season concluded in Barcelona (October 12/13) with three champions crowned after an exciting finale. Gonzalo de Andres and Alejandro Geppert secured the Artura Trophy class championship by winning the first race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, while Erik Behrens clinched the Artura Trophy Am class championship with a third-place finish in the final race. Ryan James and Oliver Webb had already wrapped up the 570S Trophy championship at the Monza round (September 21/22). All five drivers will receive their championship trophies at an awards evening at the McLaren Technology Centre in December.

The competition was intense throughout the weekend. During the first qualifying session, despite Gonzalo de Andres’ strong efforts, Erik Behrens took pole position for the ALFAB entry. However, drizzle before the race led all teams to start on wet tires. At the start, Behrens bogged down, allowing de Andres to seize the lead, which he and teammate Geppert maintained to secure the Artura Trophy title.

In the 570S Trophy class, Ryan James demonstrated his skill by opting for slick tires before the race, a decision that paid off once the drizzle stopped. He and Oliver Webb claimed their eighth win of the season, cementing their status as the 2024 570S Trophy champions.

In the second race, Artura Trophy champion de Andres started on pole, but Adalberto Baptista and Tommy Pintos ultimately took the victory. The fight for third place in the championship was fiercely contested, with Fiona James and Jayden Kelly finishing fifth—just enough to secure third in the standings by a single point. The last race of the 2024 season also saw Hermann Backus and Kevin Rohrscheidt secure their first 570S Trophy victory of the year.

“It feels really special to have won the championship. All the work from the beginning of the season has been really hard, but I’ve really enjoyed it, and we’ve really improved throughout the season. The team and Gonzalo my teammate have done an amazing job and I’m really thankful to all my sponsors and to everyone who has supported me for this great achievement. I feel really happy and satisfied with the season,” said Alejandro Geppert, Artura Trophy Champion.

“I’ve loved competing in the championship for the first time and being the Artura Am champion is a great feeling to go with it! What a weekend here at Barcelona – as an amateur driver taking 22 points to become champion. All the people at McLaren are so friendly and the Trophy series is just epic, so we’re going for a full season in Pro Am next year,” added Erik Behrens, Artura Am Champion.

“I’m such a huge disciple of the McLaren Trophy programme. I like the racing, the hospitality, the organization is just incredible. I’m also very excited to be racing the Artura next year after being this year’s 570S champion – I cannot wait to be a year two veteran!” said Ryan James, 570S Trophy Champion.

Looking ahead to 2025, McLaren will introduce the new Artura Trophy EVO, featuring improved aerodynamics, enhanced cooling, wider tires for better grip, and a ‘Push to Pass’ function for added power. Additionally, the McLaren Trophy platform will expand into the USA with the launch of the McLaren Trophy, America 2025 series, providing more opportunities for racers to experience McLaren Motorsport’s unique offerings.

“We’ve enjoyed a superb year of racing in the McLaren Trophy, Europe; congratulations to all our champions on their success and thank you to everyone that has been involved for making 2024 such a memorable season.

“The success of the Artura this year across the world, including our own high-performance Trophy series, is testament to its depth and breadth of supercar ability on the track – a level of excellence that is equally apparent on the road.

“The building blocks are in place for a strong third season in 2025 with healthy grids in Europe and our debut in America, as we evolve with the new Artura Trophy EVO car and the introduction of the Silver/Silver driver category,” said Mick McDonagh, Director of MSO Motorsport, McLaren Automotive.