Dean MacDonald (born 6 December 2000) is a British racing driver from Scotland who competes for Garage 59 in the GT World Challenge Europe. He is a McLaren factory driver, and was Pro-Am champion of the 2022 GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup alongside Miguel Ramos.

Career Early career MacDonald's racing career began at an early age, as he received a go-kart as a gift from his father at just one year of age. It sat in the family kitchen for several years while Dean grew old enough to drive it. At age three, he began testing ahead of a true karting debut at age five in Bambino karts. MacDonald enjoyed a successful karting career, becoming the youngest Comer Cadet winner of the Scottish Championship and later winning the Iame International Final in the X30 Pro class in 2019.

GT racing In 2015, MacDonald shifted to sports car racing by joining the McLaren GT Driver Academy. MacDonald had initially aimed to progress towards Formula One, but pursued sports car racing due to the uncertainty of the single-seater ladder. His first full-time drive supported by the program took place in 2017, where he drove in the British GT Championship. Competing in the GT4 class alongside Akhil Rabindra, MacDonald came close to securing podium finishes early in the season, but would ultimately finish 13th in points. In the winter of 2017, MacDonald was a finalist for the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain Junior Scholarship shootout, becoming the youngest member of that year's prospective class. MacDonald returned to the British GT Championship for 2018, shifting to Steller Performance and pairing Alex Quinn. However, MacDonald's program with Steller wouldn't last the entire season, as the team were forced to skip the round at Spa after parts delays derailed a planned upgrade to their Toyota GT86-based entry. As a result, MacDonald joined Century Motorsport for the remainder of the season. In his first race with the team, paired alongside eventual champion Jack Mitchell, MacDonald claimed a GT4 class victory – his only victory of the season.

MacDonald returned to McLaren machinery in 2019, embarking on his third British GT season with HHC Motorsport, paired with Callum Pointon. The duo got off to a fast start, taking a class victory in the first race of the season at Oulton Park. They would claim three additional podiums that season, placing third in the GT4 class championship. 2020 saw MacDonald graduate to GT3 machinery, as he took the wheel of a McLaren 720S GT3 for the first time in his career. Once again in British GT, MacDonald joined Angus Fender in a new-for-2020 effort for 2 Seas Motorsport. The pair claimed a podium in the opening race of the season, and finished tenth in the GT3 championship.

For the first time in his professional racing career, MacDonald ventured outside of the British GT Championship in 2021. Alongside Gus Bowers, MacDonald joined United Autosports' effort in the GT4 European Series, with the two pairing up in the team's No. 32 entry. Bowers and MacDonald scored one victory – at the Nürburgring in September – as United won the teams' title.

GT World Challenge Europe

In 2022, MacDonald took on a full season drive in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup with Garage 59. MacDonald and co-driver Miguel Ramos successfully defended the latter's 2021 Pro-Am title, taking seven class pole positions, seven class podiums, and four class victories. MacDonald added a supposed one-off in the Endurance Cup, serving as the fourth driver in Garage 59's No. 188 entry at the 2022 24 Hours of Spa. MacDonald would later replace Ethan Simioni as the third driver in the #159 for the final two races of the season, helping Nicolai Kjærgaard and Manuel Maldonado to a Silver Cup-class podium finish in the final race of the season.

The following season, MacDonald embarked on a full-season GT World Challenge Europe campaign, albeit with different teams in each series. In the Endurance Cup, MacDonald switched to fellow McLaren competitors Optimum Motorsport, driving alongside Sam De Haan and Charlie Fagg. Competing in the Gold Cup class, the team's season culminated in a class victory at the 2023 24 Hours of Spa as they finished sixth in the Gold Cup championship. In the Sprint Cup, he graduated to the Pro class, joining former F1 driver Christian Klien in JP Motorsport's No. 111 entry. The duo endured a difficult season, finishing as high as 11th on two occasions but failing to score championship points.

Personal life MacDonald attended Beath High School in Cowdenbeath. Early in his career, he worked for his father's kart and engine-building business Shox Performance. He also played a role in developing an IAME Gazelle engine for karting.

Racing record Career summary Season Series Team Races Wins Poles F/Laps Podiums Points Position 2017 British GT Championship - GT4 Black Bull Garage 59 10 0 0 0 0 45.5 13th 2018 British GT Championship - GT4 Steller Performance 6 0 0 0 0 52.5 12th Century Motorsport 3 1 1 0 1 2019 British GT Championship - GT4 HHC Motorsport 9 1 1 3 4 112 3rd 2020 British GT Championship - GT3 2 Seas Motorsport 9 0 0 0 1 35 10th 2021 GT4 European Series - Silver United Autosports 12 1 2 1 3 95 5th 2022 GT World Challenge Europe Garage 59 13 0 0 0 0 0 NC GT World Challenge Europe - Pro-Am 11 4 7 3 7 149 3rd GT World Challenge Europe - Silver 2 0 1 1 1 25 26th GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup 10 0 0 0 0 0 NC GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup - Pro-Am 10 4 7 3 7 119 1st GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup 3 0 0 0 0 0 NC GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup - Silver 2 0 1 1 1 25 13th GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup - Pro-Am 1 0 0 0 0 30 9th 2023 GT World Challenge Europe JP Motorsport 10 0 0 0 0 7 46th Optimum Motorsport 5 0 0 0 0 GT World Challenge Europe - Gold Optimum Motorsport 5 1 1 1 2 70 12th GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup JP Motorsport 10 0 0 0 0 0 NC GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup Optimum Motorsport 5 0 0 0 0 7 21st GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup - Gold 5 1 1 1 2 70 6th2024 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup Garage 5950000230th International GT Open Greystone GT510024512th2025 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup Garage 59511112612thGT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup - Gold51412584th International GT Open Greystone GT142115976th2026IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD ProRLL Team McLaren2000047030thGT World Challenge Europe Endurance CupGarage 59GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup10000026.511thInternational GT OpenGreystone GTItalian GT Championship Sprint Cup - GT3Raptor EngineeringBritish GT Championship - GT3Orange Racing by JMH200000NC

Complete British GT Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 DC Points 2017 Black Bull Garage 59 McLaren 570S GT4 GT4 OUL1 OUL2 ROC1 SNE1 SNE2 SIL1 SPA1 SPA2 BRH1 DON1 13th 45.5 2018 Steller Performance Toyota GT86 GT4 GT4 OUL1 OUL2 ROC1 SNE1 SNE2 SIL1 12th 52.5 Century Motorsport BMW M4 GT4 GT4 SPA1 BRH1 DON1 2019 HHC Motorsport McLaren 570S GT4 GT4 OUL1 OUL2 SNE1 SNE2 SIL1 DON1 SPA1 BRH1 DON2 3rd 112 2020 2 Seas Motorsport McLaren 720S GT3 GT3 OUL1 OUL2 DON1 DON2 BRH1 DON3 SNE1 SNE2 SIL1 10th 35 2026 Orange Racing by JMH McLaren 720S GT3 Evo GT3 SIL1 OUL1 OUL2 SPA1 SNE1 SNE2 DON1 BRH1 NC 0

Complete GT World Challenge Europe results GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Pos. Points 2022 Garage 59 McLaren 720S GT3 Pro-Am IMO LEC SPA6H SPA12H SPA24H 9th 30 Silver HOC CAT 13th 25 2023 Optimum Motorsport McLaren 720S GT3 Gold MNZ LEC SPA6H SPA12H SPA24H NÜR CAT 6th 70 2024 Garage 59 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo ProLECSPA6HSPA12HSPA24HNÜRMNZJED 30th 2 2025 Garage 59 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo GoldLECMNZSPA6HSPA12HSPA24HNÜRCAT 4th 58 2026 Garage 59McLaren 720S GT3 EvoPro LEC MNZ SPA6H SPA12H SPA24H NÜR ALG 16th* 13* * Season still in progress.

GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Pos. Points 2022 Garage 59 McLaren 720S GT3 Pro-Am BRH1 BRH2 MAG1 MAG2 ZAN1 ZAN2 MIS1 MIS2 VAL1 VAL2 1st 119 2023 JP Motorsport McLaren 720S GT3 Pro BRH1 BRH2 MIS1 MIS2 HOC1 HOC2 VAL1 VAL2 ZAN1 ZAN2 NC 0 2026 Garage 59 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo Pro BRH1 BRH2 MIS1 MIS2 MAG1 MAG2 ZAN1 ZAN2 CAT1 CAT2 11th 26.5 * Season still in progress.

Complete International GT Open results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Pos. Points 2024 Greystone GT McLaren 720S GT3 Evo Pro ALG1 ALG2 HOC1 HOC2 SPA HUN1 HUN2 LEC1 LEC2 RBR1 RBR2 CAT1 CAT2 MNZ 12th 45 2025 Greystone GT McLaren 720S GT3 Evo Pro ALG1 ALG2 SPA HOC1 HOC2 HUN1 HUN2 LEC1 LEC2 RBR1 RBR2 CAT1 CAT2 MNZ 6th 97 2026 Greystone GT McLaren 720S GT3 Evo Pro ALG1 ALG2 SPA MIS1 MIS2 HUN1 HUN2 LEC1 LEC2 HOC1 HOC2 MNZ CAT1 CAT2 4th* 93* * Season still in progress.

Complete IMSA SportsCar Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant Class Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Rank Points 2026 RLL Team McLaren GTD Pro McLaren 720S GT3 Evo McLaren M840T 4.0 L Turbo V8 DAY SEB LGA DET WGL MOS ELK VIR IMS PET 30th 470 * Season still in progress.

References

External links Dean MacDonald at British GT Championship