Price and MacLeod sign with Optimum Motorsport for second season as Forelle Estates Racing fires up campaigns on both land and sea

Price and MacLeod sign with Optimum Motorsport for second season as Forelle Estates Racing fires up campaigns on both land and sea

Callum MacLeod and Mike Price will return to the British GT Championship in 2026 with Optimum Motorsport, confirming a second consecutive campaign with the Wakefield-based squad and the team’s proven McLaren GT3 EVO. However, the duo will miss the season-opening Silvertone 500 as they swap fireproofs for waterproofs, to take part in the PalmaVela Regatta, a prestigious annual international sailing race on the island of Mallorca.

Once again competing as a Pro-Am pairing, the duo will line up in the Forelle Estates-backed #3 McLaren entry as they look to build on the foundations laid during their debut season with the team. The programme marks the continuation of a partnership that has steadily developed through several seasons of GT competition and multiple championships.

Price continues his progression through the upper levels of GT racing. The Hampshire-based driver began his circuit racing career in 2017 and quickly established himself across several national categories and collecting multiple podiums before stepping into GT machinery in 2021, partnering MacLeod in a GT4 McLaren; the pair victorious at Oulton Park. They later graduated to GT3 competition, claiming two class victories in the category before making the move to the British GT Championship together in 2023.

For MacLeod, the upcoming season represents another chapter in an extensive career within the British GT paddock, in what will be his 11th year competing in Britain’s premier sportscar series. The pro driver made his championship debut in 2015 and has since established himself as one of the series’ most experienced GT3 drivers, securing multiple race wins and podium finishes along the way.

The upcoming season will be Price’s fourth campaign in British GT and his fourth consecutive year racing alongside MacLeod. 

However, the duo will miss the first two rounds of the championship, to partake in racing of another kind; alongside their circuit racing commitments, the racing duo will also be looking to win on water in 2026. The first-ever Forelle Estates Racing aquatic adventure, Price and MacLeod will form part of the 12-strong crew aboard the 46ft DK46 racing yacht to contest the PalmaVela Regatta, held at the Bay of Palma on the Spanish Island of Mallorca, between April 28-May 3. The calendar clash for Price and MacLeod means Optimum Motorsport will run an exciting one-off line-up at the Silverstone 500 season-opener - to be announced in due course.

Mike Price says: “I’m really looking forward to getting back onto the British GT grid for this year, and being back with both Callum and Optimum again. There was a lot to learn with last year being my first aboard the McLaren after so long in the Mercedes-AMG. The driving styles of the two cars were very different, but we showed some great progress across the year and I felt truly comfortable in the car by the end. Callum’s coaching was a huge help in that regard. He’s proven time and again he’s a top Pro so I’m excited to see how much we can push on with that bit more experience in our surroundings.

Obviously it’s a shame to miss a few rounds, especially Silverstone, but the chance to experience the PalmaVela yacht racing regatta and try my hand at an entirely new form of competition is mouth-watering, and sharing that with Callum will give us a season like no other!”

Callum MacLeod says: “I’m really looking forward to this year, and the mixture it will bring us. British GT-wise, I’m excited about our second season with Optimum Motorsport. I feel that both Mike and I showed great pace at times last year so we’ll be looking to add consistency to that pace, which can help put us in the frame for points finishes each weekend. Mike has developed hugely across his GT3 career so far, and adapted impressively to the mid-engined McLaren from the front-engined Mercedes we started out with, so I’m excited to see what this year can bring with that bit of extra experience with the car and team.

It’s a shame we will miss the opening two rounds, especially the three-hour Silverstone 500, but getting to experience the PalmaVela Regatta is a real once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s a chance to step out of our comfort zone and experience something completely new. I’m sure we’ll have a load to learn, but I’m really excited for the challenge.”