British GT4 Brands Hatch preview 14.05.2021: Intelligent Money British GT Championship Brands Hatch May 22/23, 2021 A resurgence in Pro-Am interest tops GT4’s pre-season headlines, which also include the return of 2020’s runner-up, a new car in the form of Ginetta’s G56

Intelligent Money British GT Championship
Brands Hatch
May 22/23, 2021




A resurgence in Pro-Am interest tops GT4’s pre-season headlines, which also include the return of 2020’s runner-up, a new car in the form of Ginetta’s G56, and the resumption of McLaren’s Driver Development Programme.


Indeed, the latter includes the same four drivers who would have contested last year’s championship were it not for covid-19. Michael Benyahia, Harry Hayek, Katie Milner and Alain Valente finally get their chance to shine, albeit with Team Rocket RJN which has been selected to run both DDP-crewed 570Ss on McLaren’s behalf.


Rocket’s third entry is also of the Silver Cup variety and features 2020 runner-up Jordan Collard who’s partnered by former Speedworks rival James Kell. Given their respective performances last season – Collard was always impressive aboard HHC’s McLaren and Kell’s first British GT campaign featured several standout moments – this entry is bound to be a title contender come #DoningtonDecider in October.


As the only other multi-car entrant, Century Motorsport are likely to be RJN’s biggest threat in the Teams’ Championship. But, on paper at least, they also have the potential to challenge for myriad Drivers’ titles. Pairing 2020’s Ginetta GT4 Supercup champion (Will Burns) and runner-up (Gus Burton) appears to be a masterstroke, while its second new Evo-spec BMW M4 – featuring Chris Salkeld and Andrew Gordon-Colebrooke – is sponsored by celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott.


We also find another of last year’s race winners, as well as a championship hopeful, in familiar surroundings. Matt Cowley turned plenty of heads aboard Academy’s Ford Mustang and is joined by team stalwart Will Moore in what amounts to another strong Silver Cup ensemble.


British GT debutants Assetto Motorsport have entered Ginetta’s new G56 and can count on factory ace Charlie Robertson to extract the best from Mark Sansom, who also makes his series bow at Brands.


Elsewhere, and following a promising first season, the Speedworks operation that oversees the Supra will now be known as Toyota Gazoo Racing UK. The change highlights both the factory’s trust and its new Young Driver Programme, which has selected Ginetta graduate Scott McKenna to lead a Pro-Am crew also comprising John Ferguson.


No driver has won two British GT4 titles outright. But that statistic will change if either Jake Giddings or Jamie Stanley claim the crown this year. The former – who won the championship in 2014 – partners Dave Whitmore at Ciceley who return with Mercedes-AMG for their first-ever full-season assault. Stanley, meanwhile, is joined at Fox Motorsport by former Ginetta GT4 Supercup Am front-runner Nick Halstead.


Last year’s Pro-Am champions, Balfe Motorsport, switch to the Silver ranks with Jack Brown and Ashley Marshall where they’ll compete against Steller’s Audi crewed by Richard Williams and Sennan Fielding – the same combination that won twice together in 2019.


Elsewhere, this year’s sixth full-season Pro-Am entry – Newbridge Motorsport’s Aston Martin – will join the championship from Round 2 at Silverstone.
 
 





- Tom Hornsby, photo SRO