After what seems like an eternity since Charles Dawson and Kiern Jewiss lifted the 2025 title at Donington Park, the British GT Championship arrives at Silverstone refreshed and raring to go with a bumper entry in a season that starts with the longest race on the calendar. 

For the first time since 2001 the championship starts at the Silverstone 500, and we’ll run you through all the entrants so you know who to look out for in the three-hour enduro as numerous one-off entries join the full-season regulars. 

GT3

18 GT3 machines line up on the grid for the opener, with 15 of those entered for full season competition and three making a flying visit to Northampton. 

One of those two guest entries are our reigning champions. Jewiss and Dawson have moved up to GT World Challenge Europe this season but have elected to make a comeback in their trusty 2 Seas Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 to make their competition no doubt grateful that one serious title contender is not sticking round for the full six-weekend calendar. 

The other guest entry is a former champion and a man who should really have been a champion. That’s Ian Loggie and Phil Keen, respectively, and whilst Ian is dipping in and out of races as he likes these days, they’ll represent a fierce contender for the RAC Trophy on offer for the winners of this 180-minute race. But they’ll be doing it in a car new to the pair of them, as they jump behind the wheel of a Paradine Competition BMW M4 GT3 Evo. 

Whilst it’s unfamiliar territory the pair are always quick, they’ll have experience to call on from the other side of the garage. That’s because 2024 champions Darren Leung and Dan Harper, the latter now showing off his racing pedigree on the world stage, are returning in a second Paradine entry to see if they can take yet another piece of 500 glory. 

On the full-season front, there’s a mix of familiar teams with new faces. That starts immediately with Optimum, with intriguing names settling in behind the wheel of their McLaren 720S GT3 Evos. 

Firstly, is Yasser Shahin and Garnet Patterson. The pair are only in for one race as the pair substitute for Callum Macleod and Mike Price – the latter’s yacht racing commitments taking them out of the season opener. Then you’ve got actual contenders in the second of three cars as Morgan Tillbrook acquires himself a new team-mate this season, and a rapid one at that as Ben Barnicoat steps into the breach. His firepower and expertise will make that entry a serious threat for race victory and a title charge. 

Rounding out things for the squad is a welcome step-up for last year’s GT4 champions Marc Warren and Jack Brown. The pair extracted every ounce of speed from their McLaren Artura in 2025, and there’s no reason why they won’t hit the ground running as they step up to GT3. 

Also stepping up from GT4 is Mahiki Racing. The team raced Lotus Emiras and Ginetta G56s last year, and now the team’s primary programme sees a pair of McLarens gracing the track. The first is for team boss Steven Lake and Josh Rowledge whilst GT4 stalwart Ed McDermott makes a promotion of his own as he enters the top class alongside Luke Garlick. 

Rounding out the half-dozen 720Ss on the entry is Paddock Motorsport’s Martin Plowman and Mark Smith, and the trusty Orange Racing with JMH entry of Simon Orange and Marcus Clutton – the latter seemingly more fired up than ever if his race winning stint at GT Cup’s opening round at Donington earlier in April is anything to go by. 

Every other manufacturer represented doesn’t quite have as many entries, but they’re no less competitive. Indeed Barwell Motorsport bring a trio of Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2s in what is likely to be their last year of British GT action before probably being replaced by the Temerario. Giving them their send off? Well in one car Alex Martin – a man who pocketed some decent results in recent years with Sandy Mitchell – is joined by Jarrod Waberski, a young GT racer quickly proving himself handy in sportscars. In the other, you’ve got ex-champion Rob Collard alongside young hotshot Hugo Cook. With a full season under their belts, they should be ready to hit the ground running. 

Finally, Duncan Cameron and Matt Griffin find themselves in an Italian car, but not the one you’d recognise them in as they swap their usual Ferraris for a Lamborghini. 

2 Seas Motorsport have two additional entries alongside the Jewiss/Dawson machine, as Kevin Tse maintains his British GT presence alongside a new co-driver. That is Ben Green, a man who previously raced – and won in British GT4 – and then had yet more success at the Nürburgring and in various SRO-backed GT3 series around the globe. A handy man, then, to replace the ultra-rapid Maxi Götz. 

The last Mercedes-AMG needs a second driver confirming, but the first seat is taken by Aaron Walker who has raced a fair bit in the three-pointed star for GetSpeed in GTWCE and International GT Open. 

Speaking of teams running guest and full-season entries, Century Motorsport – the power behind the Paradine entries – enters a car under its own banner for Charles Clark (a winner in British GT4 and GT Cup) and Jonathan Beeson who has done a mix of Britcar and the Porsche Sprint Challenge GB. 

There’s a welcome return for Ferrari, as Rodin Motorsport – more regularly seen in single-seater action – enter a 296 GT3 Evo for antipodean pairing Joshua Buchan and Cameron Campbell, who’ve raced together in Australia. 

Last, but by absolutely no means least, is Beechdean Motorsport. Andrew Howard’s squad is legendary in British GT and the Aston Martin squad are bringing back a blast from the past as Ross Gunn – who won his first GT title with the team way back in 2015 alongside Jamie Chadwick – returns to partner Howard in a Vantage. 

GT4

The secondary class brings increased numbers this year as 11 pairings are entered, and with the reigning champions moving up – and other title contenders moving on – the class has possibly never been more open. 

Of course, it’s hard to look at the entry and not start by talking about Colin Turkington. The Northern Irishman is a British Touring Car Championship icon, a four-time champion and a 72-time race winner. Now, he’s taking a proper step into GT racing after a few one-off appearances in things like GT Cup and the Silverstone 24 Hours. 

He’s in relatively familiar ground as he races a BMW (same as the BTCC), which is run by WSR (just like the BTCC). What’s different, you might ask? Well the WSR Flexify entry is a BMW M4 GT4 Evo and he’s sharing it with Ernie Graham who is swapping the rally stages for asphalt circuits. 

There’s another BMW on the grid, as Century Motorsport retains its presence in both categories with an M4 for Branden Templeton and Jack Collins. 

After winning the drivers’ title last year, Optimum Motorsport come back to defend the title with a McLaren Artura GT4 for Luca Hopkinson, who raced for the team alongside Harry George last year, but he’s now joined by Josh Stanton who moves to British GT from Porsche racing. 

Like many previous years, there’s plenty of Aston Martin representation with four cars run by four teams. The first is MK Racing with Will Orton – no stranger to GT4 racing – and Jessica Hawkins, who is moving to the GT4 Vantage after a couple of seasons racing in its GT3 sibling. 

Darren Turner, an Aston legend, makes a welcome return to British GT as he joins Daniel Lavery at Grange Racing with FSR in a Vantage that will probably win the best livery on the grid award with an eye-dazzling effort. 

Two GT4 regulars team up at at Townsend Racing powered by Fox Motorsport as James Townsend elects to run his own team – with support from Jamie Stanley’s Fox outfit – where he’ll be joined by Joe Wheeler, who has a few years of racing Lotuses and Ginettas. 

Rounding out the Vantage gang is another duo-led effort as Stratton Motorsport (one for British GT fans with longer memories) teams up with single-seater entrants Graham Brunton Racing to run a machine for John Hartshorne (another name for those with a few years of following the championship under their belt) and Ronan Pearson. 

Ginetta is also represented, and there’s two G56 GT4 Evos in the field, run by Toro Verde GT and Innovation Racing. The latter are GT Cup race winners making the step up alongside Hadley Simpson (also a well-known GT Cup face) and Thomas Holland.

Toro Verde are running a Ginetta for British GT4 champion Jack Mitchell and Luke Shaw (not the footballer), alongside a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS CS for Ian Duggan and Tom Bradshaw.

Finally, not content with moving up to GT3, Mahiki Racing continue on in GT4 as they switch to McLaren to make it a third manufacturer in two years. They run an Artura for Revie Lake and Blake Angliss.

The first round of the British GT Championship season gets underway on Sunday 26 April with the Silverstone 500. The three-hour spectacular gets underway at 13:00 UK time (14:00 CEST) and you can follow the action live on GT REPORT!