In Cars 2, what competition is Lightning McQueen invited to enter?

In Cars 2, Lightning McQueen is invited to enter the World Grand Prix.

The World Grand Prix is a three-race international competition created by Miles Axlerod to promote Allinol, a new alternative fuel. McQueen accepts the invitation and travels with Mater, his pit crew, and other racers. The contest takes him far beyond the American tracks seen in the first film.

The races are held in Tokyo, Porto Corsa, and London. Their different surfaces and settings give the sequel a travel-and-action structure, while also allowing Pixar to parody international motorsport events. Francesco Bernoulli, an Italian Formula-style racer, becomes McQueen’s major on-track rival during the competition.

The World Grand Prix is connected to the film’s espionage plot. Mater discovers that a group of cars is using a form of electromagnetic weapon to interfere with racers who use Allinol. This conspiracy causes the competition to become dangerous, and the apparent fuel promotion hides a larger scheme. The event therefore serves both as a racing championship and as the setting for the movie’s international spy story.