Silverstone 500 Kicks Off British GT Championship’s 34th Season
The prestigious British GT Championship opens its 34th season this weekend at Silverstone Circuit, featuring the highly-anticipated Silverstone 500 on the renowned Grand Prix layout—returning for the first time in 25 years. A competitive 29-car grid, comprising 18 GT3 and 11 GT4 entries, will battle over three hours for the esteemed RAC Trophy.
Key storylines include reigning champions Charles Dawson and Kiern Jewiss from 2 Seas Motorsport. Competing in their Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo adorned with the #1, the duo seeks redemption after narrowly missing victory last year. Notably, they will race with a 25kg success ballast due to Dawson’s Bronze Plus classification.
The championship will also see 2023 winners Dan Harper and Darren Leung in Paradine Competition’s BMW M4 GT3 Evo #91, as they aim for a historic third Silverstone 500 victory. Paradine’s second entry features Ian Loggie and Phil Keen in the #6 BMW.
Optimum Motorsport introduces Australians Yasser Shahin and Garnet Patterson, replacing Mike Price and Callum Macleod in their #3 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo. Meanwhile, Rodin Motorsport’s new Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo #13, driven by TCR Australia stars Josh Buchan and Cameron Campbell, further diversifies the grid.
The Barwell Motorsport team sees Duncan Cameron and Matt Griffin shift to Lamborghini, while multiple entries from the academy showcase burgeoning talents, including Jarrod Waberski and Aaron Walker, both vying for a prestigious GT Academy seat.
In GT4, Aston Martin is prominently represented with four Vantage AMR GT4 Evos. MK Racing’s #21 entry pairs Jessica Hawkins with Will Orton, and Grange Racing reintroduces Darren Turner alongside Daniel Lavery in the #27. Century Motorsport aims for glory with their #24 car featuring four-time BTCC champion Colin Turkington.
Free practice begins Saturday at 09:30 BST, followed by qualifying at 15:45, and the race starts Sunday at 13:00. With a robust and diverse field, the Silverstone 500 promises an exhilarating opener to the season.
