Double Podium at Spa – and Into the Championship Lead!

Spa-Francorchamps turned into a weekend we will not forget anytime soon.

After a strong debut weekend at Monza, Luca was preparing to take on the legendary Belgian Formula 1 circuit for the very first time. Spa is one of the most iconic circuits in the world — and a track where courage, speed and precision are truly put to the test.

Luca had never raced at Spa before, but throughout the practice sessions the pace began to come. Session by session, he gained a better understanding of both the car and the circuit, and in the final practice session Luca finished with the third-fastest time in the field.

Naturally, that gave the team plenty of confidence heading into qualifying.

But motorsport is rarely straightforward.

During qualifying, two of Luca’s fastest laps were deleted due to track limits, while the car was also struggling with understeer. As a result, Luca had to start the first race of the weekend from 12th position.

From Challenges to the Podium
Although the starting position was far from ideal, the team fortunately managed to improve the car and find a setup that worked much better.

Luca and Callum Davies spent a lot of time together with Paddock Motorsport reviewing video footage and data to identify where more lap time could be found. That work paid off.

With strong pace, great teamwork and an excellent strategy from the team, Luca and Callum worked their way through the field and secured an impressive third-place finish in the opening race of the weekend.

Those were important points for the championship — and further proof that Luca is quickly finding his feet in the McLaren Trophy Europe.

“Fortunately, we managed to get the car under control and find a setup that worked. We spent a lot of time reviewing video and data to work out where Callum and I could improve, and thankfully that helped enormously. Together with a fantastic strategy from the team, we ended up with a great third-place finish, which gave us some very valuable championship points,” says Luca.

Another Difficult Start – Another Comeback
The second qualifying session of the weekend was not without problems either.

This time Callum was behind the wheel, but an overheating fuel pump brought the session to an early end. That meant Luca and Callum had to start the second race of the weekend from the back of the field.

Not exactly the easiest route to another top result.

But once again, the team showed that you should never give up.

The problem was resolved before the race, and Callum delivered a strong opening stint, gaining several positions. When Luca took over the car, they were running around 12th place.

Shortly afterwards, a lengthy safety car period dramatically reduced Luca’s planned stint. In fact, he only had four proper racing laps.

But he made those laps count.

Luca pushed the car forward through the field and, together with Callum, secured another third-place finish.

Two races. Two podiums. And a huge weekend at Spa.

“Fortunately, we managed to solve the problem before the race and then made a comeback. Callum drove a really strong first stint and gained several positions before I took over the car. We were around 12th when I got into the seat, but then the race was interrupted by a very long safety car period, so I ended up with only four laps of actual racing,” says Luca.

Championship Lead
The two third-place finishes mean that Luca and Callum have now taken the lead in the provisional McLaren Trophy Europe championship standings.

That is a major achievement.

It is the first time Luca has ever led a championship — and the fact that it is a European championship makes it even more special.

“It feels absolutely fantastic! It’s the first time I’ve ever led a championship, and the fact that it’s a European championship makes it even more special. A huge thank you to the entire team, my teammate, my sponsors and all our partners. Now it’s about building on this momentum and working hard to secure the title,” says Luca.

Thank You for Being Part of the Journey
A weekend like Spa does not happen by itself.

There is a huge amount of work behind the scenes from Paddock Motorsport, Callum, Luca’s family, sponsors, partners and everyone following and supporting from home.

Your support means a great deal.

Now the focus is on building on the momentum, staying focused and continuing the hard work ahead of the next round of the McLaren Trophy Europe, which takes place at Misano World Circuit on 18–19 July.

THANK YOU for being part of the journey!