A fresh and predominantly pink livery will adorn Paddock’s McLaren this year in its efforts to raise funds for Prostate Cancer UK.
The entry again features Mark Smith and Martin Plowman who will spend a fourth season campaigning the 720S GT3 together.
Their team made great strides in performance throughout 2025, with Smith and Plowman becoming regular top five contenders. With the acquisition of top engineer Toby Phillips to bolster the technical team, plus extensive additional mileage through a parallel GT Cup programme, the team was able to make significant steps in the setup and operation of the McLaren that reflected with increased competitiveness on track.
Paddock’s McLaren also scored points in every race but one last year and completed every racing lap of the season with a flawless finishing record.
In the GT Cup Smith enjoyed a stunning season, scoring 15 outright race wins from 19 starts, claiming the championship’s GT3 class honours and marking himself out as one to watch every time he took to the track.
For this year the team continues unchanged in British GT, and hopes are high that starting from a solid foundation can bring an early boost as Smith and Plowman look to pick up where they left off in 2025. Smith will also continue to add to his mileage with a select GT Cup programme, and there is also potential to take the team into further European competition at some point following Paddock’s successful first McLaren Trophy Europe campaign last year.
“Ever since we took the chequered flag at Snetterton to clinch the win in the GT Cup last October, I have been thinking about British GT in 2026 and finally starting to fight for the podium,” said Smith. “Throughout our 2025 campaigns we showed significant improvement, with both better qualifying performances and better race pace developing throughout the year. Toward the end of the season, I felt like we made significant gains in our setup, and this was never more obvious to me than at the GT Cup Snetterton finale. The car felt better than it ever had, and to drive the point home I forced a purple lap out of it on beat-up tires for the final lap of the season. If we can reproduce how the car felt in that race, I have no doubt that we will be fighting near the top in British GT this season.
“As a team, Paddock just keeps getting stronger with a flawless mechanical record last year, and Plowey continues to put in competitive performances as he and our coach, Jayde Kruger, get me up to pace. We will again be competing in some rounds of the GT Cup to help with development of both car and driver, and there’s potential to test the waters in additional championships around Europe if we can make the schedules work. In all, I am very hopeful for 2026 and can't wait for our first test of the season at Portimão in February.”
Plowman added: “This year feels like a big one for us. Last season we made huge progress with both the car and our driver development. You only need to look at the fact Mark won so many GT Cup races – 15 from the 19 he entered – to see exactly how much he improved across the year. When it came to British GT, we found ourselves well in the mix for the top five at many rounds, even if a few instances of bad luck meant the results weren’t always there on paper.
“We want to push forward this year and be fighting for podium finishes, and I have every confidence we have the team and the expertise in place to do exactly that. Once again the additional mileage in series such as the GT Cup will only help, and we have greater ambitions too with a potential plan to push into more European competition, so it’s shaping up to be a very exciting year ahead.”
But it’s with Prostate Cancer UK that Paddock is hoping to make even more of an impact by raising significant funds for the charity through its British GT programme. As well as prominent signage on the car’s livery, there is a full fundraising programme in the works which includes donating a portion of proceeds from hospitality services, exciting charity auction lots and on-event campaigns to raise both funding and awareness of the disease. It is a cause close to the hearts of the entire Paddock Motorsport team.
“I’m also delighted about the partnership with Prostate Cancer UK for this year, which is a cause very close to the hearts of the team and my family,” continued Plowman. “It’s such a privilege to be involved in motorsport and a championship like British GT, so it seems an ideal chance to give something back. We have an ambitious fundraising aim and will be doing a number of different activities both on and off track this year to attract donations, raise awareness and hopefully help as many people affected by the disease as possible.”
Seren Evans, Head of Events and Community Fundraising at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, with one in eight getting diagnosed. We are so grateful for the dedication of Paddock Motorsport and so many others across the UK, who help Prostate Cancer UK fund lifesaving research to stop this disease damaging the lives of men and their loved ones.
“Everyone who supports Prostate Cancer UK has their own story, some heart-breaking and others heart-warming, but all united with a common aim to see a world where men’s lives are not limited by prostate cancer. We thank Paddock Motorsport for going that extra mile and helping to save men’s lives.”
Paddock Motorsport will get its season underway with a test in Portimão, Portugal next month, before British GT Media Day at Silverstone on March 31. The season begins in earnest at the Northamptonshire track over the weekend of April 25/26.
