Paddock Motorsport has announced its switch to a Porsche 911 GT3 R for this weekend’s Brands Hatch Decider, which will conclude the 2026 British GT Championship season.
After running a McLaren GT3 and Evo for almost five seasons in British GT, Paddock has opted for Stuttgart machinery as they evaluate their options for 2027; however, they expect to continue their relationship with McLaren beyond 2027 in their other GT3, GT4 and McLaren Trophy Europe programmes.
Team founder and Le Mans 24 Hours class winner Martin Plowman shared the Porsche with his long-time teammate Mark Smith at last weekend’s GT Cup event at Brands Hatch in preparation for the British GT race meeting there.
It will mark the first appearance for Porsche’s GT3 racer since last year, when Porsche-contracted driver Sven Müller shared the #66 Team Parker Racing entrant with Nick Jones.
Plowman said: “The switch to the Porsche has come about because Mark felt it was the right time for a change as he wants to evaluate some extra options ahead of 2027. Doing it now gives him a window to try something new in both GT Cup and British GT without pressure.
“For the team it’s a great opportunity to learn and develop some new skills, especially with the Black Falcon technical staff joining us both at the track and back at base to aid with preparation and operation of the 911. We had a test at the Nürburgring recently and, while it was clear there is a lot to learn as the Porsche (rear-engined) is a very different car to handle than the McLaren (mid-engined), we made some strong progress, and it will be interesting to see how the two race weekends play out.
“Obviously, we have modest expectations as it’s a big change, but the GT Cup will serve as a good warm-up before jumping back into British GT. Despite us finishing the season with the Porsche, our relationship with McLaren is still a long-term one, and we are already planning programmes with our 720S GT3 Evo and Artura GT4 for next season alongside a multi-car entry into the McLaren Trophy Europe and speaking with interested drivers.”
From their first GT3 Pro-Am podium at Oulton Park to missing out on their maiden GT3 winning chances at Snetterton, Paddock Motorsport are keen as ever to learn the Porsche and potentially fight for GT3 glory again in the near future.
Image courtesy of Porsche Motorsport
