Arthur Rougier is aiming to kick off the 2026 GT World Challenge Europe season in style as he returns to Circuit Paul Ricard (April 10–12), a track that holds special significance in his career.
The French driver first made his mark at Paul Ricard back in 2017, where he secured the French F4 title after a close battle with Victor Martins. Since then, Rougier has transitioned from single-seaters to GT racing, making his GT World Challenge debut in 2020 with Saintéloc Racing.
He later spent two seasons with Emil Frey Racing, highlighted by an overall podium finish at Magny-Cours in 2021. In 2023, Rougier joined CSA Racing, continuing with Audi machinery before the team switched to McLaren for the 2025 season. That move also saw Rougier become an official McLaren factory driver.
The partnership delivered immediate results. In their first race with the McLaren 720S GT3 Evo, Rougier, Simon Gachet, and James Kell secured victory in the Gold Cup class and finished sixth overall at Paul Ricard—adding another milestone at the iconic French circuit.
Heading into the 2026 season, Rougier has clear ambitions:
“The target is to fight for the Gold Cup title.”
However, the competition is expected to be fierce. CSA Racing will face strong opposition from teams such as Garage 59 and ROWE Racing, both of which bring proven performance and depth to the grid.
Despite the challenge, Rougier sees it as extra motivation as he looks to build momentum from the very first race weekend.
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