Mahiki Racing’s 2025 British GT campaign was never going to be straightforward, but few expected the Stoke-on-Trent squad to be put through quite such a storm.
From the season-opening action at Donington to the tense finale on 5 October, its year became a case study in resilience; a team learning, adapting, and refusing to buckle even as circumstances repeatedly tested them.
By the time the final race weekend arrived, Mahiki had lived through a surprise mid-season manufacturer switch, endured a GT4 car catching fire, and absorbed its fair share of adversity.
Inside the Mahiki team truck that Sunday evening, the atmosphere felt remarkably bright. A seventh pole position for the GT4 decider, earned with style, and a shot at victory gave them a sense of momentum rarely afforded in a competitive field.
It was there, after the dust had settled from the racing action, that team owner Steven Lake and Team Principal Chris Emery sat down with DSC to dissect a transformative year ahead of its leap into GT3 with McLaren machinery.
If there is a single thread running through Mahiki’s 2025 story, it’s how Lake’s personal passion project has begun to morph into something more structured, more ambitious and, crucially, more purposeful.
“This started as my hobby,” Lake said, with the measured frankness that underpins many of his decisions.
“I enjoy it, and I like challenging myself. And I feel making it into a team rather than just me going racing as myself is an added dimension to it all.”
The tone within Mahiki these days reflects that shift. Its GT4 programme is still an important part of the team’s identity and is set to continue into 2026 with Ginetta, though it is no longer the main focus. It serves as a building block for what Lake highlights as a “pathway” to help drivers grow into professionals.
Mahiki’s evolving mission also shines through in how it dealt with its biggest setbacks.
When 19-year-old Josh Miller crashed the team’s new McLaren during test day for the finale, Lake’s reaction was not fury or frustration; it was perspective.
“These things happen,” he reminded both Miller and the team, choosing to push them forward instead of letting the moment linger.
Miller, who dominated qualifying throughout the season with five poles in six attempts, remains on Mahiki’s radar, though Lake stresses the teenager must choose the route that’s best for him.
“Josh [Miller] has shown interest and wanted to stay with us potentially. I know he’s got an offer from another team, which is good for him. I’m happy for him.”
The team’s most dramatic moment of the year came at Brands Hatch, when the #84 Ginetta of Jack Mitchell caught fire. The incident accelerated Mahiki’s GT3 timeline, according to Lake.
The team had already acquired two McLaren GT3 Evos, one, at the time, “in bits,” as Lake puts it, but the Brands fire forced hands and brought forward decisions.
But the rebound was impressive. The team’s newest driver pairing, Garlick and Angliss, returned at the season decider with an aggressive redemption drive, pushing the #69 to second place and handing Mahiki its best finish of the year.
The team believes that part of the turnaround stemmed from lessons learned during its early GT3 testing, as Lake expects himself to duo with Jack Mitchell in one of the team’s two GT3 entries next year.
“We’ve put a lot of learning into place,” Lake noted. “And we’ve translated that into GT4; that’s a big reason things went so well.”
Choosing McLaren was not inevitable as Lake admits he evaluated every major mid-engined option, Lamborghini, McLaren, Porsche or Ferrari, each with compelling strengths. But logistical clarity and genuine manufacturer engagement steered Mahiki firmly toward Woking.
“I like the mid-engined race car,” he added. “It’s attackable, exciting, lively, the challenge suits my driving style.”
What solidified the decision was the connection with Rob Bell, who has driven all three of McLaren’s GT3 racers throughout his sportscar racing career, including the current model across four different British GT seasons and back-to-back Asian Le Mans Series campaigns in 2023 and 2024.
McLaren’s Motorsport sporting director made a tangible impression on Lake, both technically and personally.
“We spoke to the different manufacturers and I have to compliment Rob Bell on his input, and he was a big factor in choosing them,” Lake said.
“[It helps] working with a manufacturer you can communicate with at a genuine level.
“He’s into it for the right reasons; that meant a lot to us as well. I can’t knock McLaren’s support and input and feedback.”
Though British GT’s GT3 grid has multiple McLarens, Mahiki sees beyond national borders. Abroad, McLaren is not as common, and the team’s long-term vision includes entries in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup and the Michelin 24H Series.
For that future, Lake believes McLaren’s refined, consistent, reliable package, after testing so far, fits perfectly.
Next season begins with a statement race: the Silverstone 500, British GT’s flagship round and its longest contest as a three-hour enduro.
For Mahiki, rolling out its new GT3 squad alongside a familiar GT4 effort at the championship’s blue riband event presents an opportunity.
Much like the Rolex 24 at Daytona is for IMSA, the Silverstone 500 is the race everyone wants to conquer early in the season. It is a chance for Mahiki to measure itself, and Lake, instantly against elite amateur racers and fully-fledged factory pros in the GT3 category.
The parallels with its 2025 season’s arc are obvious, amid a new challenge and a high-pressure environment. It serves as a moment to prove what it has absorbed from a turbulent year.
Within the team, there is excitement heading into 2026, a sense that Mahiki Racing is growing into a team with purpose, intent, and a clear direction of travel.
The hobby has evolved, and the project has matured into a dual GT3-GT4 programme. But really, it’s just the beginning for the effort.
