GT4 Showdown at Oulton Park: Championship Race Heats Up
Oulton Park has set the stage for an intense GT4 championship battle, with Century Motorsport and Optimum Motorsport tied at 64.5 points ahead of the first double-header of the season. Century’s #71 BMW M4 GT4 duo, Ravi Ramyead and Charlie Robertson, recently clinched victory at the Silverstone 500, leveling their points with Optimum’s Marc Warren and Jack Brown, who drive the #90 McLaren Artura GT4.
In this tightly contested environment, Ramyead expressed a calm approach to the pressure, stating, “It’s a long season… We’ve got a good car.” With significant pit stop penalties affecting their strategy—10 seconds for Century and seven for Optimum in Race 2—the focus remains on accumulating points.
Qualification saw Robertson narrowly take pole for Race 2, clocking in just 0.001 seconds ahead of the McLaren.
Mahiki Racing’s Resurgence
Mahiki Racing aims to bounce back from a setback at Silverstone, where a wheel hub failure curtailed their performance in the #84 Lotus Emira GT4. Young driver Aiden Neate reflected on the incident as a learning opportunity, confident that recent upgrades to the car will enhance their performance at Oulton, a circuit he thrives at.
Barwell Motorsports Eyes Redemption
Reigning champions Barwell Motorsport, led by Rob Collard, started Race 1 from pole position after a mixed outing at Silverstone. Team principal Mark Lemmer acknowledged prior mistakes but emphasized the importance of capitalizing on the current opportunity without penalties.
Milestone for Spirit of Racing
Celebrating 15 years since their last Oulton Park double win in a Ferrari F430 Scuderia, Matt Griffin reminisced about the enduring partnership between Ferrari and Spirit of Racing, highlighting pivotal moments from their past.
2 Seas Motorsport Maintains Championship Lead
The #42 2 Seas Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 duo of Keirn Jewiss and Charles Dawson enters the weekend with a 30-point championship lead. Despite narrowly finishing behind Paradine Competition at Silverstone, a reduction in performance ballast has them well-positioned for the challenges ahead.
Absentees from the Grid
Team Parker Racing will only field its #66 Porsche due to a crash-related withdrawal of the #30 Mercedes-AMG GT4. Other notable absentees include Greystone GT’s #24 McLaren GT3 EVO and former LMP1 driver Oliver Webb, who is sidelined this weekend.
Live Coverage and Insights
For detailed insights and live streams of the sprint races at Oulton Park, viewers can find activity on the official channels, including on-board commentary from Race 2 pole-sitter Maximilian Götz.
As the championship unfolds, all eyes will be on how teams navigate the challenges presented by the unique Oulton Park layout and competitive pressures of the GT4 series.
