Optimum Motorsport bounced back from a frustrating opening encounter at Oulton Park to claim its first victory of the 2026 British GT Championship season in Monday’s second race, as Morgan Tillbrook and Ben Barnicoat converted strong pace into a commanding GT3 success.
The McLaren pairing emerged from a tense four way fight at the front to finish 3.7 seconds clear of Beechdean AMR’s Andrew Howard and Ross Gunn, whose second runner-up finish of the day elevated them to the top of the championship standings after a consistently impressive Bank Holiday weekend. Kevin Tse and Ben Green completed the overall podium for 2 Seas Motorsport.
GT4 honours went the way of Grange Racing with FSR’s Daniel Lavery and Darren Turner, who survived a dramatic last-lap attack from Jessica Hawkins to secure both their maiden class victory and the first overall GT4 success of the season for a Pro-Am crew. The Aston Martin duo inherited the lead after long-time pacesetters Toro Verde Motorsport were eliminated by a late steering failure, before holding off Hawkins by just 0.4s in a thrilling drag race to the finish.
The result completed a weekend that produced three different GT4 winners from three races and further underlined the competitive depth of the championship, while Beechdean departed Cheshire with British GT’s Team of the Weekend award thanks to pole position, two second-place finishes and both fastest laps in GT3.
Race 1
Barwell Motorsport once again underlined its remarkable affinity with Oulton Park by claiming victory in the opening British GT Championship race of Bank Holiday Monday, as Rob Collard and Hugo Cook held off a late charge from Beechdean AMR to secure Lamborghini’s 10th win from 21 appearances at the Cheshire circuit.
In GT4, Century Motorsport’s Branden Templeton and Jack Collins celebrated a breakthrough maiden victory, converting a strong strategic drive into success aboard their fan-favourite dragon-liveried BMW M4, affectionately known as ‘Chomp’.
Just 0.2 seconds separated the leading GT3 contenders at the chequered flag after a tense final-lap showdown. Andrew Howard had delivered a vintage qualifying performance on Saturday to secure his first British GT pole position since 2015 and initially converted that advantage into the race lead. However, Collard wasted little time asserting himself, sweeping around the Aston Martin at Old Hall on the opening lap before building a commanding nine-second advantage during the first stint.
Behind the leading pair, Optimum Motorsport’s Marc Warren maintained third place ahead of Alex Martin and Simon Orange, while early drama unfolded further back. The opening lap incident involving Paddock Motorsport and Optimum McLaren entries sent one car spinning and forced evasive action from several others.
Optimum Motorsport (Left) & Orange Racing by JMH | Images by Joe Lansdown
Once in clean air, Collard controlled proceedings before handing over to Cook at the mandatory pitstop window. Crucially, Barwell had no compensation time to serve, allowing Cook to rejoin with a healthy advantage over Ross Gunn, who had taken over the Beechdean Aston Martin from Howard.
Gunn gradually eroded the gap, but the complexion of the race changed dramatically when incidents involving GT4 machinery and Marcus Clutton triggered a Safety Car intervention with just 14 minutes remaining. The neutralisation erased Cook’s hard-earned cushion and set up a sprint to the finish.
The restart immediately brought Gunn onto the Lamborghini’s tail, and the Aston Martin factory ace spent the closing laps searching for a way through. His best opportunity arrived on the final lap when GT4 traffic briefly compromised Cook’s progress, but the Barwell driver defended resolutely to preserve victory and continue the team’s extraordinary Oulton Park record.
Warren and Jack Brown completed the overall GT3 podium, claiming their first Silver-Am class victory in the process. Brown crossed the line eight seconds adrift of the leading battle, while Paddock Motorsport’s Mark Smith and Martin Plowman secured a career-best British GT finish in fourth.
Martin and Jarrod Waberski rounded out the top five despite carrying five seconds of compensation time, ahead of Kevin Tse and Ben Green. A strong recovery drive from the McLaren pairing of Morgan Tillbrook and Marvin Kirchhöfer lifted them to seventh after early setbacks, while Century Motorsport’s Jonathon Beeson and Charles Clark completed the top eight.
GT4 Glory for ‘Chomp’
GT4 honours went to Century Motorsport after Templeton and Collins produced a measured recovery drive that was aided by a perfectly timed Full Course Yellow period.
Collins lined up alongside pole-sitter Hadley Simpson but found himself immediately on the defensive when first-corner chaos erupted ahead. Forced onto the grass to avoid a spinning GT3 McLaren, the BMW driver dropped from the front row to fifth place despite escaping without damage.
That left Simpson’s Innovation Racing Ginetta leading from Jessica Hawkins’ MKH Racing Aston Martin and Optimum Motorsport’s Josh Stanton. Collins quickly began fighting back, reclaiming lost ground before overtaking Stanton and closing rapidly on Hawkins as the pit window approached.
The pivotal moment arrived when Stanton’s McLaren was spun into the barriers following contact with Jack Mitchell’s Toro Verde Ginetta. The stranded car and resulting fluid spill necessitated an extended Full Course Yellow period, dramatically influencing pitstop strategy.
Innovation Racing had already brought Simpson in from the lead, helping to offset some of the substantial compensation time imposed following the team’s Silverstone victory. However, the biggest beneficiaries proved to be Century Motorsport. Collins completed his stop under reduced-speed conditions and handed over to Templeton, who emerged at the head of the field.
From there, Templeton faced sustained pressure from Will Orton, who had taken over the Aston Martin from Hawkins. Despite the relentless challenge, the BMW driver remained composed and crossed the line 0.9s clear to secure both his and Collins’ first British GT victory.
Behind them, Thomas Holland produced one of the race’s standout overtaking moves, diving past Revie Lake at Shell Oils Hairpin to secure third position for Innovation Racing. Nevertheless, fourth represented an excellent result for Lake and Blake Angliss, who had started from the pitlane.
Toro Verde’s Luke Shaw and Mitchell completed the top five overall and claimed Pro-Am class honours, finishing ahead of Grange Racing by FSR’s Daniel Lavery and Darren Turner.
The opening contest of Oulton Park’s Bank Holiday double-header once again demonstrated why the circuit remains one of British GT’s most unpredictable venues. Yet amid the chaos, one constant remained unchanged: Barwell Motorsport and Lamborghini continue to make winning at Oulton Park look almost routine.
Race 2
Optimum Motorsport’s Morgan Tillbrook and Ben Barnicoat reignited their 2026 British GT Championship challenge with a commanding victory in the second race of Oulton Park’s Bank Holiday Monday double-header, while Daniel Lavery and Darren Turner secured a landmark maiden GT4 victory for Grange Racing with FSR after a dramatic final-lap duel.
The McLaren pairing converted strong race pace into their first win of the season, taking the chequered flag 3.7 seconds clear of Beechdean AMR’s Andrew Howard and Ross Gunn. A second runner-up finish of the day ensured the Aston Martin crew left Cheshire at the top of the GT3 standings, while Kevin Tse and Ben Green completed the overall podium for 2 Seas Motorsport.
GT4 provided the race’s most captivating finish. Lavery resisted an intense late challenge from Jessica Hawkins to deliver Aston Martin’s second class victory of the weekend, becoming the first Pro-Am crew to claim an overall GT4 win this season. Hawkins came within touching distance of snatching victory on the final lap, but the Grange Racing driver held firm to seal a breakthrough success.
The outcome could have been very different. Toro Verde Motorsport looked set for a dominant victory until a cruel steering failure ended Luke Shaw and Jack Mitchell’s race from a commanding lead with less than 20 minutes remaining.
Meanwhile, Beechdean’s impressive weekend haul of pole position, two second-place finishes and both fastest laps courtesy of Gunn earned the squad British GT’s Team of the Weekend honours.
GT3: Optimum Converts Pace into Victory
The foundations for Optimum’s victory were laid during the opening stint, where Barnicoat shadowed pole-sitter Gunn without unnecessarily risking a move for the lead.
With Beechdean carrying seven seconds of additional compensation time in the pitstop window, patience was always likely to be rewarded. The leading duo quickly broke clear of the field, establishing a 10-second margin over Hugo Cook’s Barwell Lamborghini before the pit window opened.
Cook’s challenge was complicated by the maximum compensation time penalty imposed following Barwell’s Race 1 victory, effectively removing the Lamborghini from contention for a podium finish despite another competitive showing.
As expected, Tillbrook emerged from the pit sequence ahead of Howard, but the race remained finely balanced. The Beechdean Aston Martin received an unexpected boost when GT4 traffic briefly delayed the McLaren, allowing Howard to close the gap almost immediately.
Further behind, Tse and Simon Orange also capitalised on the congestion and soon joined the fight, creating a four-car battle at the head of the field. For several laps the quartet circulated within striking distance of one another, but a combination of traffic management and Howard’s defensive driving against the chasing Mercedes-AMG ultimately played into Tillbrook’s hands.
The Optimum driver gradually established a small but decisive advantage, pulling clear while his pursuers became embroiled in their own battle. From there, Tillbrook controlled proceedings to the flag, delivering Optimum’s first overall victory of the campaign.
Howard and Gunn secured another valuable haul of championship points in second, while Tse and Green completed the podium after fending off sustained pressure from Orange in the closing stages.
Initially, Orange and Marcus Clutton crossed the line fourth, but a post-race 30-second penalty for overtaking a GT4 car under yellow flags dropped the McLaren to ninth.
The revised result elevated Rob Collard and Cook to fourth after a determined damage-limitation drive, while Alex Martin and Jarrod Waberski completed the top five and secured Silver-Am class honours. Marc Warren and Jack Brown inherited sixth ahead of Century Motorsport’s BMW and the second 2 Seas Mercedes-AMG entry.
GT4: Lavery Holds Off Hawkins in Aston Martin Showdown
GT4 honours were settled by a thrilling Aston Martin-versus-Aston Martin battle that went right down to the final corner.
For much of the race, however, Toro Verde appeared untouchable. Pole-sitter Mitchell made a superb getaway and steadily stretched his advantage during the opening stint, opening a margin of more than six seconds before handing over to Shaw.
Even the significant compensation time penalties carried by the leading Silver-class contenders failed to dent Toro Verde’s advantage, and the Ginetta looked firmly on course for victory.
That changed dramatically when Shaw suffered a steering failure approaching Lodge Corner. The resulting trip into the gravel instantly ended Toro Verde’s challenge and transformed the complexion of the race.
The misfortune elevated Lavery into the lead after he had taken over from Turner, who had delivered a measured opening stint to keep the Aston Martin firmly in contention. Hawkins, meanwhile, emerged as the principal threat after taking over from Will Orton.
Once Shaw’s retirement promoted her to second, Hawkins wasted little time in reducing a six-second deficit to the race leader. The MK Racing Aston Martin was visibly quicker in clear air and rapidly closed onto Lavery’s rear bumper as the race entered its decisive phase.
Traffic repeatedly influenced the gap, alternately helping and hindering both drivers, but Lavery appeared to have everything under control until a mistake exiting Knickerbrook on the final lap. A moment onto the grass robbed the Aston Martin of momentum and handed Hawkins a golden opportunity.
The pair ran side-by-side up Clay Hill towards Druids in a breathtaking drag race, but Lavery positioned his car perfectly and defended the inside line. Hawkins remained alongside through the final sequence of corners but could not find a way through, crossing the line just 0.4 seconds adrift.
While denied victory, Hawkins and Orton strengthened their championship challenge with maximum Silver-class points and another runner-up finish. Innovation Racing’s Thomas Holland and Hadley Simpson completed the podium after prevailing in a spirited late-race fight involving Century Motorsport’s Branden Templeton and Jack Collins, as well as the Mahiki Racing McLaren of Revie Lake and Blake Angliss.
James Townsend and Joe Wheeler rounded out the top six despite overcoming a stop-go penalty for a short pitstop in their Townsend Racing/Fox Motorsport Aston Martin.
After three races, the British GT season is already developing into a fiercely contested battle across both classes. Oulton Park once again delivered high drama, but as the championship heads to its next destination, Howard and Gunn leave Cheshire with the momentum of consistency, while Optimum Motorsport and Grange Racing depart with the confidence that only victory can provide.
Images by Olly Goodall
