Gregor Jeets racing in McLaren Trophy Europe

Estonian racecar driver Gregor Jeets has exchanged rallying for circuit racing this season, and will compete in the prestigious 2026 McLaren Trophy Europe
Jeets, 25, who in recent years has driven in the second-tier WRC2 rallying category, is driving for Italian team Target Racing in the McLaren Trophy series.
"I'm really looking forward to the season together with the Target Racing team, founded in 1997 by Roberto Venieri, who has worked with Formula One teams, IndyCar teams, and was part of a Le Mans-winning squad. The team started out in formula racing and has since become successful in the world of GT cars," Jeets said of the move.
Jeets noted his manager now is the closest associate of former Lamborghini Motorsport head Giorgio Sanna, who selects drivers for the factory team, which is why the original plan was to race in a Lamborghini series this season.
At the end of 2025, Sanna moved to head McLaren Automotive's motorsport division and brought the successful former Lamborghini-series team Target Racing into the McLaren series. This move helped Jeets secure a seat in the McLaren Trophy Europe championship, a one-make series designed both to promote manufacturers' brands and develop future factory GT drivers.
"My first contacts regarding participation in the McLaren Trophy Europe series go back to 2024, when my father [Raul Jeets] and I attended the Le Mans 24 Hours. There we met Lamborghini Motorsport advisor Mauro Casadei, and later I had the opportunity to do several tests with Lamborghini cars, where he saw potential in me," he went on.
The cooperation had begun earlier when Jeets and the team competed in a sprint round of the Italian championship at the famous Imola circuit, home of the San Marino Grand Prix. The Estonian was the fastest in his class in qualifying and finished third and sixth in the races.
"It was a great opportunity for both me and the team to test qualifying and race pace ahead of the season."
"There are many competitors in the Italian series, and we can be very satisfied with the result. It was McLaren's first appearance in that series in Italy, and their interest is to sell more racing cars there. So it was a good weekend for everyone — McLaren reached the podium, and I've made it clear that if more opportunities arise to compete in the Italian series during the season, we'll be ready. But our main focus for 2026 is definitely the McLaren Trophy Europe series."
Jeets' teammate at Target Racing will be young Italian driver Riccardo Ianniello, who previously claimed a championship title and a runner-up finish in the Italian GT series.
"Both Riccardo and I are part of McLaren's GT junior program. It's not only about racing — it also includes physical preparation, and the drivers have mentors who help them develop further as racing drivers," Jeets explained.
"In 2025, I mainly competed in the Porsche Sprint Challenge Central Europe series, where I finished on the podium at every round I entered and ended the season second overall in the endurance standings," he added.
The series uses McLaren Artura Trophy EVO cars, and the season, which begins at the end of May, will feature five rounds at well-known European circuits with more than 20 cars on the grid, Autosport.ee reports.
This will be the fourth McLaren Trophy Europe season.
The McLaren Trophy Europe is a European racing series organized by SRO Motorsports Group. Teams of two drivers compete in 50-minute races using McLaren Artura Trophy cars across Pro, Pro-Am, and Am classes. Since 2025, it has become a one-make championship and also includes the Papaya Cup for less experienced Am drivers.
After the opening round at another famous circuit, Monza (May 29–31), the series will continue at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium (June 24–27), Misano in Italy (July 17–19), Barcelona (October 2–4), and Portimão, Portugal (October 16–18).
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Siim Boikov









