Penalties Deny Martin and Bac GT Deserved Podiums

The third round of the McLaren Trophy Europe took place at the Misano World Circuit over the weekend, with Will Martin continuing his impressive development alongside Greystone GT teammate Hugo Bac.

With temperatures climbing into the mid-30s throughout the weekend, Martin faced the added challenge of learning yet another new circuit as Friday's practice sessions focused on familiarisation and fine-tuning the setup of the #33 Greystone GT McLaren.

Qualifying for Race 1 was undertaken by Bac, who secured 10th place on the grid. A superb getaway saw the Frenchman surge into fourth place on the opening lap before settling into ninth as the field began to spread out.

The mandatory pit window opened at the end of lap 12, with Bac handing the car over to Martin one lap later. A slick pit stop elevated the #33 McLaren to sixth once the stops had cycled through, before Martin immediately gained another position to move into fifth.

As the closing stages approached, contact between two cars ahead promoted Martin into fourth before a safety car neutralised the race to allow the recovery of a stranded car. Racing resumed with just seven minutes remaining and Martin wasted no time taking the fight to the leaders.

On the penultimate lap, Martin launched an ambitious move down the inside of the #90 McLaren for third place. As the door closed, unavoidable contact spun the rival car, allowing Martin to cross the line in third and what appeared to be a well-earned podium finish.

However, the stewards deemed Martin responsible for the incident, issuing a five-second post-race penalty that dropped the #33 Greystone GT McLaren to eighth in the final classification.

Sunday's Race 2 saw Martin take qualifying duties, placing the #33 McLaren eighth on the grid. Starting in another sweltering late-afternoon race, Martin held position through Turn 1 before producing another impressive opening stint, climbing to sixth by the end of the first lap and remaining firmly in contention with the leading group.

Following a brief safety car period on lap 12, Martin headed to the pits as the mandatory driver window opened, handing over to Bac while running inside the top six. Rejoining in sixth, Bac continued the charge and quickly worked his way into fourth place with a series of determined overtakes.

A thrilling final lap battle saw Bac challenge for the final podium position, briefly moving into third after a bold overtaking attempt before crossing the line in fourth. Unfortunately, a second post-race penalty for contact during the move resulted in another five-second time penalty, relegating the #33 McLaren to seventh place.

Although the final results failed to reflect the team's outright pace, the Misano weekend once again demonstrated the speed and competitiveness of the Martin/Bac partnership. With strong performances throughout the event and the pair regularly challenging at the front of the field, confidence continues to build ahead of the next round of the McLaren Trophy Europe at Barcelona in October.