UK Drought Ends Amidst Australian Triumphs

British GT Championship – Silverstone

Just a week after his triumph at the 6 Hours of Imola, GT racer Yasser Shahin has added yet another achievement to his accolades, clinching an outright victory at the Silverstone 500 together with fellow Australian Garnet Patterson.

A brilliant strategic move from Optimum Motorsport enabled Shahin and Patterson to seize the historic 1932 RAC Trophy while competing as a “guest entry”.

The three-hour race was predominantly led by Darren Leung and Dan Harper, who held pole position for the first two and a half hours. However, a blend of well-timed Safety Cars and a daring pitstop strategy by Optimum ultimately proved to be the game-changer.

This overall win marks the first occasion an Australian has triumphed outright in the British GT Championship since Charlie Cox took the victory at Croft in September 1997.

Starting from 9th position, Optimum’s #3 McLaren was not an obvious contender for British GT’s flagship event, but a strong start and a savvy strategy at the halfway point surprised more favoured teams before the timing of the Safety Car effectively secured the win for Shahin and Patterson.

While one of Optimum’s pit strategies set them back, another played a crucial role in enabling Shahin and Patterson to emerge victorious.

Their vehicle was the first GT3 entry to complete two stops; although this was executed under green flag conditions after 70 minutes, it created the opportunity to conduct the third mandatory driver change during an anticipated Safety Car period.

Leung passed the wheel to Harper with 40 minutes remaining, conscious that Optimum’s McLaren had essentially gained a free pitstop. Paradine’s crew was executing a flawless race until they could not fend off the rapidly catching Patterson.

For fellow Australian Josh Buchan, the event ended in disappointment. A collision on lap 44 involving the #13 Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo and the #63 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo2 driven by Rob Collard and Hugo Cook abruptly curtailed their race.

Prior to that incident, Buchan and his teammate Cameron Campbell had shown promise, achieving the 15th fastest Combined Qualifying result before the race commenced.

Round 2 will head to Oulton Park in June.

GT World Challenge America – Austin

Tom Sargent’s role within GMG Racing in the GT World Challenge America was again prominent, aiding his teammate Kyle Washington in consistent performances.

The duo, competing in the #32 Porsche 911 GT3-R, achieved a top 10 result in Qualifying, with Sargent topping the Pro-Am field in Qualifying 2 with a time of 2:03.624. The team concluded the session with a combined 7th place before the main three-hour race commenced.

The Pro-Am class witnessed its share of early race drama. Thirteen minutes into the race, Todd Coleman spun out in the No. 69 Archangel Motorsports McLaren, following contact with the No. 9 TR3 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3. Consequently, TR3 Racing received a drive-through penalty for their role in the incident.

A subsequent Full Course Yellow appeared shortly thereafter due to debris on the track, resetting the field once more, which was followed at the halfway point by Sargent clocking the fastest lap of the race.

In the final ten minutes, Heylen maintained third for RS1 while Sargent sought to close in on him for the last podium place in Pro-Am. Ultimately, RS1 held their ground, finishing strong on the class podium, while Sargent and Washington completed the race with a 4th in class and 6th overall.

Round 3 of the GT World Challenge America will take place at Sebring International Raceway from the 8th to the 10th of May.

GB3 Championship – Silverstone

The GB3 Championship kicked off over the weekend at the iconic Silverstone, with both Jack Taylor, returning from a season in Formula Regional Oceania, and Dante Vinci transitioning to Hillspeed from the Italian F4 Championship in 2025.

Both drivers began the task of establishing their pace during the initial qualifying sessions, recording 21st and 16th fastest laps respectively, followed by 15th and 22nd in a second qualifying session.

Taylor managed to improve in the first of three races for the weekend, moving up to 13th, though Vinci unfortunately was classified as a non-finisher after retiring on lap 9.

Race 2 mirrored Race 1 for the duo; Taylor crossed the line in 17th while Vinci completed the race in 19th place.

Vinci showed substantial improvement in Race 3, delivering his best performance to take 13th place, while Taylor finished 16th, wrapping up a challenging weekend for Fortec Motorsports.

The next opportunity for Championship points will arrive in Round 2 at Circuit De Spa-Francorchamps from 28th to 31st May.

Formula Regional European Championship – Spielberg

Defending GB3 Champion Alex Ninovic commenced the next chapter of his racing career at the Red Bull Ring for the opening of the Formula Regional European Championship.

Back with Rodin Motorsport for 2026, Ninovic quickly established strong lap times, clocking the fastest lap during Free Practice ahead of Qualifying.

Ninovic made a strong start to the season, securing early Championship points with a podium finish in Race 1. A post-race penalty, however, kept him from securing back-to-back podiums, dropping him just outside the top spots but still impressing with his performance.

A solid qualifying session early on Sunday placed Ninovic on the second row in third position, setting him up nicely at the front of the 30-car field.

Displaying great composure, Ninovic improved on his starting position. Although unable to secure the race victory away from Reno Francot, a second-place finish in Race 3 rounded off a fantastic weekend for the Australian.

With 30 points gathered over the three races, Ninovic now sits fifth in the Drivers Standings as he heads into Round 2 at Circuit Zandvoort from 22nd to 24th May.

British Hillclimb Championship – Prescott

2022 Motorsport Australia Hill Climb Champion Dean Tighe kicked off his 2026 season in the British Hillclimb Championship with the first two rounds taking place over the weekend.

In Round 1, Tighe qualified for the top 12 run-off, finishing 11th overall with a time of 39.23, making history as the first Australian to compete in a top 12 run-off in the British Hillclimb Championship.

In Round 2, Tighe unfortunately did not qualify for the run-off, yet he still managed a top 20 finish—a positive start as he adapts to this new overseas championship.

The next round of the championship is scheduled for Craigantlet in County Down, Northern Ireland on 2nd May. Tighe and his team reported that fellow championship contenders have welcomed them, enjoying having an Australian presence in the field.

Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – Spielberg

Sam Shahin achieved back-to-back podium finishes in Round 2 of the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland series at the Red Bull Ring.

The third-place finish in the Pro-Am category during Race 2 capped off a consistent weekend for Shahin, following a podium he secured a week earlier in Imola.

Australian newcomer Caleb Sumich also made a mark on the race results. He started the weekend clocking 13th and 19th fastest times in the two qualifying sessions, but unfortunately retired on lap 13 of Race 1. Sumich concluded his weekend finishing in 28th position in Race 2.

Round 3 of the series will head to Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps from 15th to 17th May.