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.[2] At age three, he began testing ahead of a true karting debut at age five in Bambino karts.[2] 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.[1]
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.[2] His first full-time drive supported by the program took place in 2017, where he drove in the British GT Championship.[3] Competing in the GT4 class alongside Akhil Rabindra, MacDonald came close to securing podium finishes early in the season,[2] 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.[4] MacDonald returned to the British GT Championship for 2018, shifting to Steller Performance and pairing Alex Quinn.[5] 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.[6] 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.[7]
MacDonald's McLaren 570S GT4 at Brands Hatch in 2019.
MacDonald returned to McLaren machinery in 2019, embarking on his third British GT season with HHC Motorsport, paired with Callum Pointon.[8][9] The duo got off to a fast start, taking a class victory in the first race of the season at Oulton Park.[10] 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.[11] 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 #32 entry.[12] Bowers and MacDonald scored one victory – at the Nürburgring in September – as United won the teams' title.[13]
GT World Challenge Europe
MacDonald's championship-winning McLaren 720S GT3 at Magny-Cours in 2022.
In 2022, MacDonald took on a full season drive in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup with Garage 59.[14] 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.[1] MacDonald added a supposed one-off in the Endurance Cup, serving as the fourth driver in Garage 59's #188 entry at the 2022 24 Hours of Spa.[15] 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.[16]
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.[17] Competing in the Gold Cup class, the team's season culminated in a class victory at the 2023 24 Hours of Spa[18] 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 #111 entry.[19] 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.[20] 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.[2]
^Lloyd, Daniel (10 March 2022). "Pro-Am Champions Ramos, Chaves Join Garage 59". Sportscar365. John Dagys Media. Retrieved 3 April 2023. However, only Ramos is confirmed to pursue a defense of the Sprint Cup Pro-Am title, with Dean MacDonald named as his pro co-driver in the No. 188 car.
^Lloyd, Daniel (2 October 2022). "Akkodis ASP Wins Endurance Cup Title at Barcelona Finale". Sportscar365. John Dagys Media. Retrieved 3 April 2023. Garage 59 led most of the race with its No. 159 McLaren, but Neubauer moved past Dean MacDonald in the closing stint to take the win.
^"Dean in pole position to win British title". Central Fife Times. 3 August 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2023. The Beath High School youngster went into the penultimate round of the championship at Shenington, Gloucestershire, joint top of the standings...
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