Arthur Rougier will launch his 2026 GTWC Europe campaign at Circuit Paul Ricard, a venue deeply woven into his racing journey. The French driver famously clinched the 2017 French Formula 4 title at the circuit, overcoming Victor Martins in a defining early-career moment. Since then, Rougier has transitioned from single-seaters to endurance racing, steadily establishing himself as a competitive force in GT machinery.
From GT debut to factory status
Rougier entered the GT World Challenge arena in 2020 with Saintéloc Racing before progressing to Emil Frey Racing. During his stint there, he secured a memorable overall podium at Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours in 2021.
He then joined CSA Racing in 2023, initially racing an Audi R8. However, a major shift came in 2025 when the team partnered with McLaren, coinciding with Rougier’s promotion to factory driver status.
The new collaboration delivered instant results. In its debut outing with the McLaren 720S GT3 Evo, CSA Racing secured Gold Cup victory and a sixth-place overall finish at Paul Ricard with Rougier alongside Simon Gachet and James Kell.
Reflecting on that breakthrough, Rougier said: “That was a great way to start with McLaren. Honestly, we were more ready for the Endurance races than the Sprint races because we’d tested at those tracks, so we had a much better package. That result gave us a lot of momentum and really motivated everyone in the team.”
Continuity fuels 2026 ambitions with Paul Ricard offering Rougier a unique test in GTWC Europe
As the 2026 Endurance Cup season approaches, CSA Racing maintains full continuity. The team retains the same driver trio—Rougier, Gachet, and Kell—while also preserving its engineering structure.
This stability, Rougier believes, could prove crucial in a fiercely competitive field: “We have our own way of working and it’s nice to have that kind of continuity. Now, the target is to fight for the Gold Cup title. Like last year, we also want to fight for an overall podium. If everything goes well, that’s something we can think about. But the level in this championship is crazy: it’s so close between being P20 and winning a race!”
Opening the season at Paul Ricard provides both familiarity and technical complexity. While the circuit suits the McLaren package, it also demands precision and confidence, particularly in its high-speed final sector.
Rougier highlighted the challenge: “It’s quite aero dependent. Sector three is one of the toughest sectors of the entire season, both as a driver and for the engineers setting up the car. It has long, fast corners like Signes and Le Beausset where you don’t have a lot of references. At most tracks you can find references quite easily, but here you just have to feel it!”
The Gold Cup battle in 2026 promises to be especially intense. CSA Racing will go up against formidable opposition, including Garage 59 and ROWE Racing.
Nevertheless, Rougier embraces the challenge, viewing the high level of competition as an added incentive: “The higher the level, the more meaningful it is to win. We’ll get a good sense for just how high that level is when the season kicks off next month at Circuit Paul Ricard.
A career-defining moment revisited
Among Rougier’s standout achievements, his 2021 performance at Magny-Cours remains particularly remarkable. Drafted in at the last minute to replace Norbert Siedler, he completed just a single hardship lap before qualifying.
Despite minimal preparation, he partnered Alex Fontana to secure third on the grid and convert it into a podium finish, while also claiming Silver Cup honours.
As Rougier returns to Paul Ricard to begin a new campaign, he does so with momentum, experience, and a clear objective: to turn potential into championship success.
