- Marco Butti is crowned champion of the TCR Europe 2026 and also wins the Youth Trophy.
- Adam Shepherd achieves his first victory in the continental competition in the first race in Barcelona, where Viktor Andersson climbs to the third step of the podium and wins in Youth.
- “We are very happy with what we have achieved. I want to thank the engineers, mechanics, students and the entire team, as well as the TCR Europe organization,” says David Simón, team manager of Monlau Motul Technical School.
- “Winning our third consecutive riders’ title in our third participation in the championship demonstrates the level and capability of the entire structure. The year’s results are extraordinary,” says Jaime Serrano, CEO of Monlau Motul.
Monlau Motul Technical School has capped off its third season in TCR Europe with another historic victory at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The Barcelona-based team has secured its third consecutive drivers’ title in three years of participation in the continental championship, with Marco Butti taking the crown and also winning the Youth Trophy. The Italian driver finished the championship with 206 points, nine more than his closest rival. The team came within just five points of also clinching the teams’ title after a highly demanding and extremely close season.
The championship reached its climax with nine drivers still mathematically in contention for the title before the two races scheduled at the Catalan circuit. Butti arrived at his home track as the overall leader, while his teammate Viktor Andersson held fourth position.
Saturday began with the qualifying session, where Adam Shepherd was the highest-placed Monlau Motul rider, finishing fifth with a time of 1:48.981, just 0.278 seconds off pole position . Butti qualified eighth with a time of 1:49.333, while Andersson finished 12th (1:53.569).
In the first race, held on Saturday afternoon, Shepherd made an excellent start, moving into second place, while Andersson climbed to eighth and Butti to ninth. Shepherd quickly took the lead and, from that moment on, controlled the race with a flawless performance, crossing the finish line in first position. This was a particularly important victory for the British rider, marking his first win of the season and Monlau Motul’s second in the championship.
Behind them, Andersson completed a solid race, initially finishing fourth, while Butti crossed the finish line in seventh. A subsequent penalty for a rival altered the final standings, allowing the Swede to climb to third place (first in the Youth category) and the Italian to move up to sixth. After this first race, six riders remained in contention for the title, with Butti leading the overall standings and Andersson in third.
The final race was held on Sunday. Butti started from third position, Shepherd from sixth, and Andersson from eleventh. In the early stages, the Italian dropped to sixth, while the Briton moved up to seventh and the Swede to tenth. With the championship still up for grabs, Monlau Motul approached the race with a clear strategy: Andersson was to attack to try and improve his position, and Butti was to manage his lead to secure the title.
The race was marred by several incidents and technical problems. Andersson, who still had a chance to fight for the title, had to retire due to a mechanical issue. Shepherd, meanwhile, was running in fifth position when he was hit by another competitor, sending him into the gravel and taking him out of the race. Butti held onto sixth position until the checkered flag, a result sufficient to clinch the 2026 TCR Europe championship in his first season with Monlau Motul. The Italian thus capped off a weekend of intense pressure with the reward for his hard work throughout the year.
Butti’s victory marks Monlau Motul’s third consecutive TCR Europe drivers’ title, having won the championship in all three of their seasons. The Italian driver completed a campaign that included one win, one pole position , and three podium finishes, in addition to securing the Youth Trophy. Andersson, meanwhile, finished the year with four podiums and one pole position , while Shepherd achieved one win and one podium finish.
David Simón , team manager of Monlau Motul, assessed the outcome of a particularly demanding season: “It has been a long and difficult year. We started in Mugello with a complicated weekend, but the team spirit and the work of the entire structure allowed us to turn the situation around. As the championship progressed, the pole positions and victories came, and all three drivers managed to stand out. In Barcelona, we had two drivers with a chance, and each had a mission: Andersson had to attack and Butti control. Both did their job in the first race, and Adam also surprised us with an extraordinary victory. It’s a shame about Viktor, who had a technical problem in the second race. We are very happy with the drivers’ title and the Youth Trophy, although the teams’ title slipped away from us by only five points. I want to thank Víctor Martínez and Aitor Lago, and the rest of the engineers, mechanics, and students, as well as the TCR Europe organization, which has made possible a high-level championship, one of the best series in Europe.” “There has never been.”
Jaime Serrano , CEO of Monlau Motul, highlighted the new sporting success: “We are very proud to close another brilliant season in TCR Europe. Securing our third consecutive drivers’ title in our third participation in the championship demonstrates the level and capability of the entire team. Marco has had a magnificent year and, in addition, takes home the Youth Trophy. I also want to acknowledge the work of Viktor and Adam, who have made decisive contributions to the team’s results. The teams’ championship eluded us by a very narrow margin, but the overall performance is outstanding and encourages us to continue working with the same enthusiasm.”
Monlau Motul’s next stop will be the Racing Weekend, from November 6th to 8th at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, where the team will participate in both TCR Spain and the Spanish F4 Championship. Andersson arrives at the final round of the touring car championship as the leader of the drivers’ standings, with a 35-point advantage over the second-placed driver, and the team will be looking to close the season with another national title.
Barcelona Qualifying Results:
https://europe.tcr-series.com/index.php/2026-ev/item/circuit-de-barcelona-catalunya
TCR Europe overall standings:
https://europe.tcr-series.com/index.php/tcrstandings
