UPDATE: The results in GT4 have changed. Optimum’s #90 Artura was promoted to pole after the #84 Mahiki Lotus of Aiden Neate and Josh Miller was found to have breached parc ferme regulations and was disqualified.
That moved Marc Warren and reigning champion Jack Brown to the head of the field. They outpaced Optimum teammates Harry George and Luca Hopkinson by 0.001s – the joint smallest pole margin in British GT qualifying history.
The original report is below.
Kiern Jewiss and Charles Dawson led the way in a front-row lockout for 2 Seas Motorsport and Mercedes-AMG this afternoon ahead of tomorrow’s 2025 British GT season-opener at Donington Park.
Both of the team’s Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evos powered to the top of the timing screens after strong performances in both Q1 and Q2 sessions, resulting in the quickest combined lap times.
During the opening Q1 GT3 session for the Amateur drivers, Johnny Ip spun in his #86 Bridger Motorsport Honda NSX GT3 Evo 22 at the Old Hairpin, though he recovered with no meaningful damage caused.
Meanwhile, the 2 Seas Mercedes-AMGs in the field set the benchmark.
Dawson in the #42 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo set a late 1:25.234 lap time to surpass the team’s sister car, the #18 of Kevin Tse and his 1:25.931.
In the Q2 session, Dawson’s co-driver, Kiern Jewiss, continued the momentum in the #42 Mercedes-AMG to keep the car above the sister #18 car with factory driver Maximilian Götz at the wheel.
In the end, the #42 Mercedes-AMG claimed pole with a combined lap time of 2:49.709 ahead of the #18 Mercedes-AMG’s 2:50.335.
The #78 Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 duo of Alex Martin and Sandy Mitchell claimed third place with their 2:50.510 lap time.
Morgan Tillbrook and McLaren factory driver Marvin Kirchhöfer finished up fourth in the #77 Optimum Motorsport McLaren GT3 Evo with a 2:50.586.
Blackthorn will line-up fifth on the grid after its #9 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo drivers Giacomo Petrobelli and Jonny Adam set a combined lap time of 2:50.837.
In sixth place was the #67 Orange Racing by JMH McLaren of Simon Orange and Marcus Clutton with a 2:51:249.
Sam Neary, who topped pre-qualifying, and his co-driver (and father) Richard Neary put the #8 Team Abba Racing Mercedes-AMG in seventh with a 2:51.285.
Paddock Motorsport’s #9 McLaren and the #66 Team Parker Racing Porsche rounded out the top 10.
Lotus claims maiden pole in GT4, McLaren trails in 2-3
It was a historic day for Mahiki Racing’s Lotus programme in GT4, as its #84 Emira stormed to pole off the back of a sterling performance from Aiden Neate and Josh Miller.
Neate, a debutant in British GT racing in Mahiki Racing’s new third car, set the pace provisionally during the Q1 GT4 session before Miller took over and secured the pole with a rapid lap of his own. The pair combined to set a 3:05.523.
It wasn’t a perfect session for Mahiki, as during the Q1, Ian Duggan in the team’s #88 example pitted prematurely after three laps with a suspected electrical issue.
Nevertheless, it was still a memorable day at Donington for the team, which has its eyes on the class title this season.
Optimum Motorsport kept Mahiki under pressure with both of its McLaren Arturas, as the two teams traded fast times throughout.
Reigning GT4 champion Jack Brown and his co-driver Marc Warren put the #90 Optimum Artura second with a 3:05.750.
The other #17 McLaren from Optimum Motorsport took third as Harry George and Luca Hopkinson combined for a 3:05.751 lap time.
Team Parker Racing’s #12 Mercedes-AMG GT4 duo of Ed McDermott and 2017 champion Seb Morris managed a 3:06.166 lap time to finish fourth.
Century Motorsport’s #71 BMW M4 GT4 Evo pairing of Ravi Ramyead and Charlie Robertson rounded out the top five with a 3:06.325, ahead of the second fastest Mahiki Lotus – the #69 entry – of Steven Lake and Jack Mitchell.
DSC’s coverage of the 2025 British GT Championship is powered by Birch – world-class automotive asset management at Gatwick
Image courtesy of SRO/JEP
