British GT Cup - Götz and Tse Master Changing Conditions for Clear Victory
British GT Race 1 – Oulton Park: Cook and Collard Lead the Way in Eventful Season Opener
Race 1 of the British GT Championship at Oulton Park unfolded in dry and blustery conditions, setting the stage for an action-packed and incident-filled hour-long contest.
In GT3, Hugo Cook claimed his maiden British GT victory, sharing the Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini with reigning champion Rob Collard. Starting from pole, the pair converted their qualifying advantage into a hard-fought win, holding off sustained pressure from the 2 Seas Motorsport duo of Maximilian Götz and Kevin Tse. The final margin was just one second, with Cook fending off a late charge from the Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo. The victory also marked Collard’s ninth career win in a Lamborghini at Oulton Park.
Blackthorn’s Giacomo Petrobelli and Jonny Adam completed the overall podium in third after an early push saw them briefly challenge for the lead. Their progress was hampered by pit stops under the safety car, which was deployed following a heavy crash involving Century Motorsport’s Ravi Ramyead. The BMW driver had impressed early on before losing control at Island Bend and hitting the barriers.
In GT4, Optimum Motorsport’s Marc Warren and Jack Brown took their second class win of the season. The pair capitalised on setbacks for key rivals, including Mahiki’s pole-sitting Lotus, which retired early due to a gearbox failure, and the Century BMW involved in the earlier crash.
With the field shaken up, Warren and Brown took command and controlled the remainder of the race. Mahiki’s Steven Lake and Jack Mitchell secured second place, while Century Motorsport salvaged a podium with its second BMW M4 GT4, driven by Branden Templeton and Chris Salkeld, who also earned Silver class honours.
Bridger Motorsport’s Johnny Ip and Luke Garlick celebrated their first Silver-Am victory of the year, benefitting after a puncture brought Beechdean’s charge to an early end.
The result gives Cook and Collard a strong foundation for their GT3 campaign, while Warren and Brown strengthened their position in the GT4 championship with a clean and composed performance amid the chaos.
GT3 Recap – British GT Race 1: Barwell Holds Firm for Victory at Oulton Park
Barwell Motorsport’s GT3 victory in Race 1 at Oulton Park was built on a strong start from Rob Collard, who converted pole position into the lead at the first corner, despite early pressure from Giacomo Petrobelli around the outside at Old Hall.
Kevin Tse held position in third for 2 Seas Motorsport, while further back, Simon Orange made up ground by passing Charles Dawson and Richard Neary to climb three spots and run sixth.
The top three remained unchanged through the first stint until a safety car was deployed following Ravi Ramyead’s heavy crash at Island Bend. Pit stops followed under caution, resetting the order heading into the second half of the race.
On the restart, Hugo Cook held onto the lead in the Barwell Lamborghini, managing to stay ahead of a close-running Maximilian Götz in the 2 Seas Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo. Götz kept the pressure on throughout the final phase, but Cook remained composed to take the win, with the top three finishing in the same order they had held before the pit cycle.
GT4 Recap – British GT Race 1: Warren and Brown Capitalise as Rivals Hit Trouble
Marc Warren and Jack Brown secured a crucial GT4 victory in Race 1 at Oulton Park, boosting their title hopes after their main championship rivals retired following a crash.
Optimum Motorsport entered the weekend tied at the top of the GT4 standings, and in the early stages of the morning race, it looked like Century Motorsport’s BMW might take control. That changed when Ravi Ramyead lost control through Island Bend, sending the BMW into the barriers and bringing out a safety car.
With both of Optimum’s McLaren Arturas still in the running, the team staggered its pit stops. After racing resumed, Jack Brown overtook George, who was later handed a drive-through penalty for repeated track limits violations. Brown then had to hold off a late challenge from Mahiki’s Jack Mitchell, but managed to keep position through to the finish.
Century Motorsport’s Chris Salkeld and Branden Templeton completed the podium in third and also claimed the Silver class victory in their BMW M4 GT4, finishing ahead of the penalised pairing of George and Hopkins.
British GT Race 2 – Oulton Park: Mercedes-AMG Dominates in Tricky Conditions
Race 2 of the British GT Championship at Oulton Park was shaped by unpredictable weather and changing track conditions. Light showers early in the race made the surface slippery, and most teams started on wet tyres. However, the track quickly began to dry, prompting a round of early pit stops to switch to slicks.
The 2 Seas Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, starting from pole, handled the conditions best. The team made the correct call on tyre strategy and pulled away to a dominant win, crossing the line 47 seconds clear of the field. It was a clean and controlled run to the chequered flag, in contrast to the rest of the GT3 field, where multiple cars cycled through additional pit stops and struggled with tyre decisions.
Simon Orange and Marcus Clutton brought their McLaren home in second place, narrowly holding off Bridger Motorsport’s Honda, which claimed third overall and won the Silver-Am class. The Honda made significant progress from 14th on the grid to finish just a tenth of a second behind the McLaren.
GT4 was more straightforward. Optimum Motorsport continued its strong form with a one-two finish for its pair of McLaren Arturas, running consistently at the front in a race less affected by the conditions compared to the GT3 field.
GT3 Recap – British GT Race 2: Götz and Tse Master Changing Conditions for Clear Victory
Race 2 of the British GT Championship at Oulton Park was defined by changing weather and tyre strategy. All teams began the race on wet tyres due to light rain and a damp, greasy track surface.
Starting from pole, the 2 Seas Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo driven by Kevin Tse and Maximilian Götz managed the conditions well. Götz held off early pressure from Sandy Mitchell and Sven Müller before gradually pulling away. His lead was helped when Barwell Motorsport brought in its second Lamborghini for a tyre change to slicks, a move quickly followed by other teams including Abba Racing and Optimum.
However, the light rain soon returned, forcing those who had switched to slicks to either wait until the pit window opened after 22 minutes or make an extra stop to return to wets. Götz built a lead of seven seconds over Müller before making the team's mandatory stop. With improving conditions, the 2 Seas car was fitted with slicks, while most others stuck with wets.
Initially, this allowed Nick Jones in the Team Parker Porsche to reduce the gap, but as Tse brought the slick tyres up to temperature, the Mercedes pulled away again. Jones then came under pressure from Simon Orange in the Orange Racing McLaren, also still on wets. With 15 minutes left, Orange made a pass for second place.
Meanwhile, Bridger Motorsport’s Honda NSX, which had started 14th on the grid, delayed its switch to slicks until its scheduled stop. Johnny Ip re-joined in eighth and began gaining positions rapidly as his tyre advantage became clear. He passed both Petrobelli and Jones in a single lap and moved into third.
With only six minutes remaining, Ip was 11 seconds behind Orange. He caught the McLaren with two laps to go but couldn’t find a way past, as Orange defended with minimal grip. The McLaren held onto second, with Bridger’s Honda completing the podium in third after a strong recovery drive.
GT4 Recap – British GT Race 2: Brown and Warren Take Commanding Win in Challenging Conditions
Marc Warren and Jack Brown completed a perfect weekend for Optimum Motorsport in GT4, overcoming a back-row start to take victory in Race 2 at Oulton Park under constantly changing weather conditions.
Both Optimum McLaren Arturas started at the rear of the GT4 field after failing to complete the two mandatory timed laps in qualifying. On the grid, the team opted to stay on wet tyres and committed to that strategy for most of the race, while other teams, including Mahiki Racing, made early tyre changes.
Pole-sitter Jack Mitchell in the Mahiki Lotus pitted before the end of the first racing lap to switch tyres. The car was then held at the end of the pit lane, dropping it a lap behind as the rest of the field continued on. As light rain returned, the Lotuses running on slicks began to struggle for grip and fell back.
Brown took the lead and pulled out a six-second gap before the mandatory pit window opened. George pitted first and switched to slicks, while Brown stayed out one more lap before coming in for slicks and to hand over to Warren.
Warren maintained the lead after the pit cycle, with Luca Hopkinson and Harry George taking second. Mahiki Racing’s Ian Duggan and Joe Wheeler rounded out the GT4 podium in their Lotus Emira. Optimum’s consistent strategy and steady pace allowed them to avoid the tyre-related setbacks that impacted much of the field.
Note from the Editor in Chief ....
Pitlane was also lucky to have one of its Junior Squad attending this event. Olly focusing on the youth development of the F4 Championships, and that article will follow shortly but here are a few GT images that he's so kindly submitted...