Barnicoat: Every bit of pace vital in Donington title battle
Championship leader Ben Barnicoat of the #77 Optimum Motorsport McLaren 720S GT3 Evo, along with his teammate Morgan Tillbrook, are the main protagonists in the ongoing fight for the outright GT3 championship title.
Three years after his IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship title glory in GTD Pro, Barnicoat is close to securing his next title in only his first British GT3 campaign.
Barnicoat and Tillbrook currently lead the championship but will have to account for compensation time during the race.
Donington Park is a home race for Barnicoat — with him based close by in Chesterfield — and the track’s grip has noticeably reduced, especially since Friday’s and this morning’s rainfall.
“We were here testing at the British GT test straight after Snetterton,” Barnicoat told DSC.
“We had a really good, productive day, but then we came back here on Thursday (testing), and the car balance flipped 180 degrees.
“We’ve decided to try and save [our tyres] for the race.
“We’ve got 20 seconds of compensation time to overcome, so for us, every little bit of pace we can get in that race is going to be important to try and put a dent into that 20 seconds.
“Ultimately, this is a long race, and there’s a lot of points on offer.
“We’ve got to have a clean race. That position is going to come down to the last 5-10 minutes of a two-hour race.”
Barnicoat/Tillbrook are fully aware of the importance of racing strategically. Their goal is to earn points that will keep them ahead of the #78 Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini Huracán, driven by Jarrod Waberski and Alex Martin, in the standings.
This is particularly crucial as they approach the final event at Brands Hatch, especially considering how much compensation time they earn by finishing in the top three at Donington.
Waberski/Martin in the #78 Barwell Lamborghini start the race in third place, while the #77 Optimum McLaren duo of Barnicoat and Tillbrook are in fourth.
However, the #77 Optimum McLaren team leads the points standings with 105.5 points compared to the #78 Lamborghini drivers’ 92 points.
Ginetta issues statement after qualifying disqualification
The #74 and #5 Innovation Racing and the #42 Toro Verde GT Ginetta G56 GT4 Evos were disqualified for technical infringements, with the #74 car, which provisionally claimed pole position in the hands of Hadley Simpson and Thomas Holland, also DQ’d for a separate ride-height infringement.
All three Ginetta G56 GT4 Evos will start from the pit lane, and the #84 Paddock Motorsport McLaren Artura GT4 of Revie Lake and Blake Angliss inherited GT4 pole position.
“Following qualifying at Donington Park today, the #74, #42 and #5 Ginetta G56 GT4 Evos were excluded from the results due to a technical non-compliance,” the statement read.
“The cars had been configured to run a richer air-fuel ratio with the intention of reducing exhaust temperatures.
“While this resulted in reduced engine performance and required the cars to carry a greater fuel load, the configuration did not comply with the homologated specification.
“Ginetta accepts responsibility for this error.
“We sincerely apologise to the teams, drivers and customers affected, who worked incredibly hard to achieve their qualifying results on track.
“We recognise how disappointing it is to have those efforts impacted by an issue outside of their control.
“All three cars will be presented in full compliance with the homologated specification for tomorrow’s race.
“We remain fully committed to supporting our teams and ensuring the highest standards of technical compliance across our motorsport programmes.”
Lulham relishing first BGT appearance with 2 Seas Motorsport
After taking Team Verstappen Racing’s maiden GT World Challenge Europe podium last weekend at the Nürburgring, Chris Lulham has jumped into his first British GT appearance with 2 Seas Motorsport — the 2025 British GT3 Teams’ champions — who also run their operation in GTWC Europe.
“I’ve had a lot of experience racing this year in the AMG in the Nürburgring 24 Hours, a full season in GT World Challenge,” he said.
“I’m no stranger to it. We also just had the test a couple of weeks ago – so I know the car, the track, and the team.
“Nothing is really a new experience. The GT4 traffic might be a bit of a curve ball, but I have had my taste of traffic management in the Nürburgring 24 Hours.
“I would like to think that we have a chance at a podium. I think everyone will be happy if we could leave the weekend with the podium.”
The 23-year-old is substituting for Ben Green for these final two race meetings, so is evidently keen not only to impress at Donington to challenge for the overall victory honours, but also learn the championship ahead of the Brands Hatch Decider.
Branton proving he’s ‘ready to fight at the top’ in British GT debut
Season debutants Innovation Racing have indicated an expansion of their British GT programme for 2027, which would make way for a second Ginetta G56 GT4 Evo on the grid.
Teenage duo Samuel Branston and James Wareing are making their British GT debuts this weekend, having fronted an impressive campaign in GT Cup UK with Innovation, where they lead the GTH (GT4) standings and hold second in the combined classification with two race meetings left.
“I wanted to do it all year,” said Branston, who stepped up from karting to car racing this year.
“I couldn’t get an international seat licence to do British GT, and with my teammate James, we want to race in the best championships possible.
“We want to make a name for ourselves and want to prove we’re ready to fight at the top.”
Innovation being the only team with two GT4 cars means that whilst the #5 Ginetta is allowed to shine at Donington as a non-points-scoring guest entry, it means they will respect the #74’s ongoing championship title fight.
Despite their post-qualifying drama, the team are keen to rebound with a strong race result.
Dawson returns to familiar ground since 2025 title success
2022 champion Ian Loggie was injured ahead of this weekend’s Donington round, allowing 2025 British GT champion Charles Dawson to return to the very same place he won the title last year with Kiern Jewiss.
“I only found out Wednesday morning that I would be filling in for Ian Loggie, who has a back injury, and it’s a shame he couldn’t continue his season,” Dawson explained.
“But it’s good fun working with Aaron [Walker]. He’s a really up-and-coming Silver, so I think he’s shown some strong pace.
“Considering he’s got the extra 25 kilos (ballast), fighting people like Barnicoat and [Ross] Gunn with that on your back is no easy thing.
“So yeah, if we can try and get a result in GT3 Silver-Am this weekend, I think it’d be a good place to start.”
After winning British GT last year, he stepped up to a GT World Challenge Europe campaign in his second year at 2 Seas Motorsport. Dawson recognised the progress he has made in the meantime.
“Doing the dual sprint-endurance means I’ve got a relatively good amount of seat time. Nine weekends plus this weekend keep you fresh in the car.
“I’m still relatively early on in my career so there’s still a lot to learn, and everyone looks at one lap pace, but forgets that that’s only one side of it.
“There’s the fighting of the cars and battles, and in GT World Challenge, there’s no hiding there, and it’s something I’m getting to grips with more and more this year.”
Collins learning ‘challenge’ of British GT multi-class traffic
Century Motorsport’s #24 BMW M4 GT4 Evo has attracted attention for its striking livery, resembling a dragon character whom the team have named ‘Chomp’, and Jack Collins is nearing the end of his first British GT championship season.
He has adapted well with his teammate Branden Templeton, learning the intricacies of GT3-GT4 multi-class racing, which makes British GT unique compared to other GT racing series.
“The season has been good because I did the Ginetta GTs last year, so that was a good stepping stone,” Collins said.
“The team’s amazing; everything’s going really well, and everyone’s been very welcoming.
“We’ve done a decent job [so far]. We had our race win at Oulton Park. We prefer to have more in the next two races, but we always try our best.
“About GT3 traffic, it being my first year managing it is a bit of a challenge, but I’m getting used to it.
“Most of them (GT3s) are good at getting by you, but you can use them to your advantage or to your detriment in the race.
“Here at Donington especially, you don’t want them to catch you at the chicane. You don’t really want them to catch you at the Old Hairpin.
“You prefer if they wait till afterwards. Even if they mess up your entry, you can get a better exit if you think about it.”
Jordan Collard relishing comeback with GBR Stratton
It is a busy weekend for the Collard racing family. Ricky, a two-time British GT champion, will be competing in the BTCC event at Croft. Meanwhile, his 2024 co-champion and father, Rob Collard, drives the #63 Barwell Lamborghini alongside Hugo Cook here at Donington.
But it is Jordan Collard, another of Rob’s sons, who is making his racing comeback in the British GT Championship. His last appearance at the 2022 Donington Decider saw him secure a GT4 victory for Toyota GAZOO Racing UK alongside Tom Edgar.
Relishing the opportunity to return, Collard is sharing GBR Stratton’s #97 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 Evo with teammate John Hartshorne.
“It’s very nice to be back,” Jordan said after his first British GT qualifying in four years.
“I’m not 100% happy with my performance in qualifying, but it’s my first time on a new tyre/low fuel/new brake run.
“So I was about a tenth-and-a-half off where I needed to be, and it’s just annoying that in one-tenth you go from fifth to second, but I maximised my first push lap.
“I’m looking forward to a good one-hour stint in the car, and I can really get into the rhythm of it.
“I now know what the car feels like on the limit because that was pretty much guessing in the dark for me just then [in qualifying].
“I really like Brands Hatch as well. It’s my favourite circuit with the GP Loop, so high-speed commitment stuff which the Aston is strong at.
“It’s just the slower speed corner where I need to get my head around how the car likes to operate.”
Donington winners set to receive Tom Wheatcroft Memorial Trophy
The outright race winners of this weekend’s Donington Park 2-hour endurance race will be presented with Donington Park Racing Association Club’s most prestigious award, the Tom Wheatcroft Memorial Trophy.
First awarded in 2010, the trophy was named after the circuit’s late president and alternates between two- and four-wheel series.
British Superbike rider Scott Redding was the most recent recipient last year. But in car racing, it was last awarded to John Minshaw and Phil Keen at the 2018 British GT Donington Decider, who won in Barwell Motorsport’s #33 Lamborghini Huracán GT3.
Before that, in the BTCC, it was given to Matt Jackson in 2016 and two-time champion Jason Plato in 2014 — preceded by the 2012 European Le Mans Series visit when Olivier Pla, Bertrand Baguette and Dimitrie Enjalbert received the trophy for their victory in the 6 Hours of Donington.
The trophy resides on-site as part of the Donington Grand Prix Collection and is viewable by visitors year-round, so the names of this year’s winners will be inscribed on its base, joining previous recipients.
Clutton fastest for Orange Racing JMH McLaren in morning warm-up
Marcus Clutton set the fastest lap time during the 15-minute morning warm-up session in the #67 Orange Racing by JMH McLaren 720S GT3 Evo with a 1:26.107.
2 Seas’s #18 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo of Chris Lulham finished second with his time of 1:26.972 ahead of the pole-sitting #44 Century Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 EVO of Charles Clark (1:27.689).
In fourth was the #15 2 Seas Mercedes of Aaron Walker (1:27.689) as Hugo Cook rounded out the top five in the #63 Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 (1:27.698).
Darren Turner topped the GT4 category in the #27 Grange Racing by FSR Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 Evo (1:34.719) ahead of Jordan Collard’s #97 GBR Stratton Aston Martin (1:35.011).
Jack Collins put the #24 ‘Chomp’ Century BMW M4 GT4 Evo in fourth place, first in the Silver Cup, as Joe Wheeler rounded out the top five in the #40 Fox Motorsport Aston Martin.
West Surrey Racing’s #61 BMW M4 GT4 Evo left the pit lane at a reduced pace. The team confirmed to DSC that Ernie Graham accidentally pressed the rev-limiter button, which led him to believe that the pit limiter would not disengage.
