The battle for the 2025 British GT Championship reached boiling point at Brands Hatch, where drama, strategy, and raw pace combined to deliver one of the season’s most gripping weekends yet.
For 2 Seas Motorsport’s Charles Dawson and Kiern Jewiss, victory in the #42 Mercedes-AMG GT3 marked their third win of the year and moved them within touching distance of the coveted GT3 crown ahead of the Donington Decider.
Meanwhile, in GT4, Optimum Motorsport’s Harry George and Luca Hopkinson finally banished their season-long misfortune to claim a sensational maiden British GT4 victory, keeping the title fight wide open heading into the finale.
GT3: Dawson & Jewiss Take Control in Brands Hatch Thriller
Starting sixth on the grid, Dawson and Jewiss knew the odds were against them — but a combination of relentless consistency, strategic brilliance, and their rivals’ misfortunes allowed the #42 Mercedes-AMG to seize control of the title race.
Three of their main championship rivals were carrying Compensation Time into the race, instantly opening the door for 2 Seas to capitalise. And capitalise they did.
At the start, Morgan Tillbrook in the Optimum McLaren was forced to check up behind a sluggish Alex Martin in the Barwell Lamborghini, handing Dawson two free positions before the first lap was complete.
Further ahead, Giacomo Petrobelli in the Blackthorn Aston Martin muscled his way past Kevin Tse into Paddock Hill Bend to briefly take the lead, but his joy was short-lived. A grid procedure infringement handed Blackthorn a costly drive-through penalty, derailing their early charge and shaping the complexion of the race.
Chaos, Fire, and Opportunity
Just 20 minutes later, the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit was plunged into drama as Mahiki’s #84 Ginetta suddenly erupted in flames, triggering the second of three Safety Car periods. The stoppage provided an unexpected lifeline for the penalised Blackthorn crew, but also bunched the pack and reset the fight at the front.
Petrobelli, refusing to give up, launched a thrilling comeback, slicing his way past three cars in a single lap as soon as racing resumed. The Italian’s charge was relentless — dispatching Johnny Ip’s Honda, the Beechdean Aston Martin, and Paddock’s McLaren to claw his way back into contention before the pit window opened.
At the sharp end, Rob Collard in the Barwell Lamborghini had surged forward, seizing the lead from Petrobelli and edging clear of Tse. But Collard’s advantage proved illusory — both cars would be heavily delayed serving their mandatory Compensation Time, handing control to 2 Seas.
Dawson, who had shadowed his team-mate Kevin Tse in the sister Mercedes for the entire opening stint, was perfectly positioned to capitalise. Jewiss rejoined after the driver change with a slender lead over Marvin Kirchhöfer in the Optimum McLaren and never relinquished it.
A Heart-Stopping Finish
The race boiled down to a tense final 30-minute showdown, with Jewiss and Kirchhöfer running nose-to-tail, separated by less than a second. Behind them, Hugo Cook in the Barwell Lamborghini was closing fast, threatening to turn the lead battle into a three-way fight.
But Jewiss was immovable under pressure. Even after a third and final Safety Car period — triggered by Sven Müller’s collision with Martin Plowman — bunched the field, the 2 Seas driver delivered a flawless restart and held off Kirchhöfer by just 0.5 seconds at the chequered flag.
Cook crossed the line third, with Jonny Adam completing Blackthorn’s recovery drive to fourth, salvaging valuable points but leaving them 28.5 points adrift of Dawson and Jewiss. With only 37.5 points available at Donington, Petrobelli and Adam face a simple equation: win or bust.
Elsewhere, Beechdean’s Andrew Howard and Tom Wood backed up their pole position with a strong fifth place and a vital Silver-Am class victory, keeping their title hopes alive. Orange/JMH’s Simon Orange and Marcus Clutton rounded out the top six after a combative drive.
GT4: Hopkinson & George Finally Break Through
While GT3 provided its share of fireworks, GT4 delivered equal drama — and a long-overdue triumph for Optimum Motorsport’s #17 McLaren Artura GT4 pairing of Harry George and Luca Hopkinson.
Their road to victory wasn’t straightforward. Marc Warren and Jack Brown in the #90 McLaren began the race with a realistic chance of clinching the GT4 title early, but disaster struck almost immediately. Contact at Druids on lap one with Rami Ramyead’s BMW sent Brown into the barriers and out of the race, flipping the championship picture on its head.
From there, the race became a showcase of resilience for Optimum. Early on, Mahiki’s #84 Ginetta, driven by Jack Mitchell, appeared untouchable and looked poised to secure its maiden win of the season — until fate intervened. Just 20 minutes into the race, flames engulfed the car, forcing a heartbreaking retirement and handing the lead to George in the #17 McLaren.
Optimum’s Redemption Drive
With Mahiki out and Century Motorsport’s BMW carrying maximum Compensation Time, George and Hopkinson suddenly found themselves in prime position to dictate the pace. George built a commanding lead during the opening stint, keeping a clear gap over Luke Garlick in Mahiki’s sister Ginetta before handing the car to Hopkinson.
Hopkinson, determined to end a season of near-misses, delivered a faultless second stint — extending Optimum’s advantage to more than 20 seconds before a late Safety Car bunched the field. But when the green flag waved, the young Briton held firm, pulling away to secure a breakthrough first GT4 victory for the crew.
Behind them, penalties and misfortune reshuffled the order. Mahiki’s #69 Ginetta of Garlick and Blake Angliss was stripped of a podium finish after a pitstop infringement, promoting Team Parker Racing’s Jon Currie and Phil Keen to a surprise second place — their second GT4 podium of 2025.
Angliss and Garlick recovered to finish fourth, ahead of Ian Duggan and Joe Wheeler in Mahiki’s second car, while Century’s other BMW came home sixth and, crucially, second in the Silver category. That result sets up a thrilling three-way title showdown at Donington between Hopkinson/George, Salkeld/Templeton, and Robertson/Ramyead, with everything still to play for.
All Titles Go to the Wire
With Brands Hatch in the books, the British GT Championship hurtles towards its season finale at Donington Park on October 4–5.
GT3: Dawson and Jewiss hold the upper hand but Petrobelli/Adam and Kirchhöfer/Tillbrook remain mathematically in contention.
GT4: Robertson and Ramyead lead, but Hopkinson/George and Salkeld/Templeton are snapping at their heels.
Silver-Am, Pro-Am, and Team Championships: All still undecided.
Nine British GT titles. One weekend. One circuit. The Donington Decider promises fireworks.
The RacerViews info
By Matt Hancock
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