Silverstone 500 Qualifying Report: Paradine Motorsport Secures Pole Position
Silverstone, UK – Paradine Motorsport drivers Darren Leung and Dan Harper have clinched pole position for the 2023 British GT’s Silverstone 500 season opener, showcasing a remarkable performance during the qualifying session.
Leung set a commanding initial benchmark, clocking a lap time nearly one second faster than two-time champion Rob Collard, who represented Barwell Motorsport in the #78 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2. Following closely, Harper contributed with impressive speed, aiming for his sixth victory of the season.
“I think it was a big advantage to be at the front and back everyone up,” Leung said post-session, downplaying his performance as “lucky with the track position.” Harper expressed pride in securing pole, noting, “We’ve won it twice, but never qualified at the front in both.”
Andrew Gilbert encountered a minor setback, spinning off track in the #15 2 Seas Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo but resumed without incident, while teammate James Townsend also spun in the later qualifying session.
The starting grid concluded with Barwell’s #63 Lamborghini finishing third (3:57.339), followed by reigning champions Kiern Jewiss and Charles Dawson in fourth (3:57.660). The #18 2 Seas Mercedes of Ben Green and Kevin Tse rounded out the top five with a time of 3:57.823.
In the Silver-Am category, Jarrod Waberski and Alex Martin’s #74 car claimed pole with a time of 3:57.834, just ahead of #67 Orange Racing McLaren. The top ten was completed by additional entries from Optimum and Beechdean, marking a competitive lineup for the race.
GT3 Qualifying Times:
- Paradine Motorsport #74 – 3:56.668
- Barwell Motorsport #78 – 3:57.273
- Barwell Motorsport #63 – 3:57.339
- Jewiss/Dawson #13 – 3:57.660
- 2 Seas #18 – 3:57.823
Debutants Shine in GT4
In the GT4 category, Innovation Racing secured their first pole position, with Thomas Holland and Hadley Simpson achieving a combined time of 4:18.723 in the #74 Ginetta. They edged out the Pro-Am duo of Luke Shaw and Jack Mitchell, who posted a time of 4:18.755.
“This is a bit of a teething process, but we’re getting there,” Holland noted, referencing the challenges of a new team and co-driver.
The field was tightly contested, with MK Racing’s Aston Martin Vantage securing third and Grange Racing’s Aston Martin taking fourth.
GT4 Qualifying Times:
- Innovation Racing #74 – 4:18.723
- GT4 Pro-Am #42 – 4:18.755
- MK Racing #21 – 4:19.195
- Grange Racing #27 – 4:19.713
The Silverstone 500 race is scheduled to commence at 13:00 BST on Sunday, promising an action-filled endurance spectacle.
