Preview: 2025 passes half-distance with two Snetterton sprints

Preview: 2025 passes half-distance with two Snetterton sprints

+ Four points separate GT3 title contenders
+ Optimum and Century renew GT4 rivalry
+ Provisional entry list: Snetterton

2025’s British GT Championship appears finely poised ahead of Rounds 6 and 7 at Snetterton where 50 points are up for grabs across Sunday’s two sprint races.

Just four points separate GT3’s top three crews after Giacomo Petrobelli and Jonny Adam scored a dominant overall victory at Spa-Francorchamps. Ravi Ramyead and Charlie Robertson, meanwhile, claimed their second win of the campaign to reduce Marc Warren and Jack Brown’s GT4 advantage.

The championship’s one-hour format often lends itself to frenetic races and unusual results in Norfolk where GT3 victory could be considered a poisoned chalice. Indeed, not since 2015 have drivers won at Snetterton en route to the title (Adam and Andrew Howard).

Both races and qualifying are, as ever, live on SRO’s GT World YouTube channel, while Sunday’s action is also available as it happens on Sky Sports F1.


GT3: TITLE RACE ENTERS CRUCIAL STAGE

GT3’s 2025 campaign has rapidly transformed into a blockbuster title battle.

2 Seas’ Charles Dawson and Kiern Jewiss piled up the maximum 75 points over the first two races but have scored just 14 across the next three. By contrast, Giacomo Petrobelli and Jonny Adam recovered from their non-score on the opening weekend to move within two, thanks in no small part to theirs and Blackthorn’s first victory together at Spa.

Consistency has also played a huge part in Morgan Tillbrook and Marvin Kirchhöfer’s assault. Optimum’s McLaren is just a point further back in third despite not yet winning a race. Its and Blackthorn’s chances of doing so at Snetterton will be compromised on Sunday morning by the extra Compensation Time accrued for finishing one-two in Belgium, potentially opening the door for Dawson and Jewiss to reassert themselves.

Hugo Cook has also scored in all five races so far and completed Spa’s podium alongside Rob Collard to move up to fourth in the drivers’ standings. Yes, Compensation Time will hinder their chances in Race 1, but Snetterton has always been a happy hunting ground for Barwell’s Lamborghini Huracan which has won there on eight occasions since its debut in 2016. 

Its most recent came courtesy of Alex Martin and Sandy Mitchell who are paired together again this weekend. Martin has slipped to joint fifth in the standings alongside Kevin Tse and Maximilian Götz, who also won at Snetterton 12 months ago but failed to score at Spa after dominating Oulton. Both entries therefore require a big weekend if they’re to feature in the championship run in.

Meanwhile, class victory and an excellent fifth overall at Spa has seen Beechdean’s Andrew Howard and Tom Wood once more nose ahead of Johnny Ip in the Silver-Am standings. Jay Bridger again joins the latter this weekend.

One change concerns Optimum’s second McLaren where Carl Cavers now partners Callum Macleod. And Team Parker’s Porsche returns after missing Spa.


GT4: OPTIMUM VS CENTURY BATTLE ROLLS ON

Just two crews, Marc Warren/Jack Brown and Ravi Ramyead/Charlie Robertson, have won a GT4 race this year. And that domination is, unsurprisingly, also reflected in the drivers’ standings, albeit where Century’s two DNFs leave Optimum’s McLaren duo 27.5 points clear with four races remaining.

It’s unlikely but, mathematically at least, Warren and Brown can therefore clinch the title on Sunday. They will need to win both races and rely on Ramyead/Robertson non-scoring, the exact same scenario as played out at Oulton back in May. Should lightning strike twice, it would be the earliest-ever conclusion to the GT4 title fight, while Brown would become the class’ first two-time champion.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. After all, the BMW pairing bounced back into contention at Spa where their rivals finished outside of the podium places for the first time this year. True, the subsequent pitstop penalty now hinders Ramyead and Robertson in Snetterton’s first race, but they are at least still part of the championship conversation.

The same combinations of drivers, teams and cars – albeit minus Warren – also shared a victory apiece at Snetterton last year, while Brown is aiming for a fourth win there in as many seasons. All signs therefore point to another battle between 2025’s standout contenders.

The scrap for Silver honours provides another sub-plot between Optimum and Century. 9.5 points might separate Harry George and Luca Hopkinson from Chris Salkeld and Branden Templeton in the overall standings, but the two crews are locked together in the class championship on 107.5. And neither has Compensation Time to consider on Sunday morning.

In terms of pure pace, Mahiki’s Josh Miller and Jack Mitchell should not be discounted and especially in qualifying. Lowly championship positions are certainly not representative of either driver’s speed or potential. Indeed, they comfortably bagged pole position together at Spa and will be favourites to do so again for both races in Norfolk.

Snetterton is not an Endurance Cup event but Jolt Racing’s Rupert Williams and John Ingram have opted to race regardless, while Team Parker’s Jon Currie and Phil keen will be eager to build on their season-best third place at Spa.


SNETTERTON TIMETABLE

Friday 11 July
10:45 – 11:40: Test 1
13:50 – 14:45: Test 2
16:00 – 16:55: Test 3

Saturday 12 July
09:30 – 10:30: Free Practice
12:05 – 13:05: Pre-Qualifying
15:45 – 15:55: Qualifying 1 (GT3)
15:59 – 16:09: Qualifying 2 (GT3)
16:13 – 16:23: Qualifying 3 (GT4)
16:28 – 16:38: Qualifying 4 (GT4)

Sunday 13 July
09:00 – 09:15: Warm-up
10:50 – 11:50: Race 1
12:30 – 13:10: Pitwalk + autograph session
15:05 – 16:05: Race 2


LAP RECORDS

GT3 – 1m46.116s – Marvin Kirchhöfer – Garage 59 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo – 2023
GT4 – 1m57.190s – Seb Morris – Team Parker Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 – 2024


PITSTOP SPECIFICS – ONE-HOUR RACE

GT3 cars must make their mandatory driver change at 22-32 minutes, while GT4’s pit window is 28-38 minutes.

Mandatory Pitstop Times (pit-in to pit-out)
GT3: 75s | GT4: 105s

Pitstop Compensation Time
Each class’ top three finishers from the previous round must be stationary for additional time during their mandatory pitstop.

10s – #7 Blackthorn Aston Martin – Petrobelli/Adam
07s – #77 Optimum McLaren – Tillbrook/Kirchhöfer
05s – #1 Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini – Collard/Cook

10s – #71 Century Motorsport BMW – Ramyead/Robertson
07s – Not competing
05s – #30 Team Parker Racing Mercedes-AMG – Currie/Keen

All GT4 Silver Cup entries must serve an additional 14s during their mandatory driver changes and carry 25kg of ballast.