Cook Eyes Strong Showing at Brands Hatch Despite Penalty
Hugo Cook is poised for a competitive performance at the Brands Hatch round of the British GT Championship, scheduled for August 23-24. Riding the momentum from a recent third-place finish at Snetterton, Cook, alongside teammate and reigning GT3 Drivers’ champion Rob Collard, will contend with a 10-second pit stop success penalty.
The Barwell Motorsport duo aims for Cook’s second victory with their #1 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2. Cook brings prior experience at Brands Hatch from earlier in the season, having participated in the GT World Challenge (GTWC) Europe Sprint Cup alongside Lamborghini factory driver Sandy Mitchell.
“We’ve got a 10-second pit stop penalty, which will make things tricky,” Cook stated. “But Sandy and I raced there in the sprint earlier this year, so we’ve got a strong baseline. No excuses really, it’s a mega track and I’m looking forward to it.”
Cook’s season has been marked by highs and lows, including a first-place finish in Race 1 at Oulton Park, followed by misfortune in Race 2 due to a strategic error with tire choices in wet conditions. Despite setbacks, Cook identified the Spa-Francorchamps weekend as a highlight, where the pair secured a podium despite lacking top speed.
“Rob was mega at Oulton, but for me, Spa was the one,” he noted. “To get a podium when we didn’t really have the car for it was really strong.”
Brands Hatch represents the eighth event of the 2025 season, and Cook is under pressure to improve his qualifying position. Currently sixth in the standings, he trails the leader by 23.5 points and recognizes the need for exceptional performance to remain championship-contending.
“I’d like to improve my qualifying, just a couple more places. I think we should aim for another win,” Cook emphasized.
The stakes for Cook and Collard are high as they aim to capitalize on their strengths and navigate the strategic complexity introduced by the pit stop penalty.
