The 2026 season is officially GO! For the first time in over two decades, the British GT Championship kicks off its campaign at the Home of British Motor Racing for the prestigious Silverstone 500. As the opening round of the year, the iconic Grand Prix circuit serves as the ultimate stage for the UK’s biggest and most prestigious sports car race.
After months of anticipation, the 3.6-mile track will come alive on 25–26 April with a blockbuster schedule featuring a massive variety of machinery. The event is headlined by a three-hour endurance epic alongside a showcase of Ginetta’s renowned racing ladder, now officially managed by SRO Motorsports Group.
The Main Event: The Silverstone 500
At the forefront of the action, the British GT Championship returns for Season 34 with a provisional full-season entry of 26 cars. The GT3 class remains the star attraction with 15 entries, while the GT4 category is trending upwards with 11 cars split between Pro-Am and Silver. The grid sees exciting new additions, including Ed McDermott debuting in GT3 with a Mahiki McLaren, and Toro Verde fielding both a Porsche and a Ginetta G56 featuring 2018 GT4 champion Jack Mitchell.
The battle for the 1932 RAC Trophy features a high-caliber lineup. BTCC legend Colin Turkington joins the grid with a chance to become only the second driver ever to hold both British GT and BTCC crowns, alongside stars like Jessica Hawkins, Andrew Howard, and Rob Collard. With seven full-season pairings in the Silver-Am class and six aspiring pros, including Charles Clark and Hugo Cook, vying for a prize drive at the 24 Hours of Spa, the strategic pit-stop drama and outright pace through Maggotts and Becketts will be relentless.
Ginetta’s Mixed-Class Spectacle
Fans are in for a treat as the Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT Championship and Ginetta GT Academy share a grid for the first time. This combined field features the 390bhp, V8-powered Ginetta G56 GTP8 alongside the latest crop of Academy talent, providing drivers with vital multi-class racecraft experience.
The grid is packed with quality, featuring returning champions like James Nicholas and Pro-Am winner Harry Gamble. In the Academy ranks, established teams like E3 Sport and W2R aim for their third consecutive titles, with experienced hands like Julian Wantling returning to face off against international debutants like Luis Beilicke. Every tenth of a second counts as these drivers look to establish their credentials on the global GT stage.
The Stars of Tomorrow: Ginetta Juniors
The drama continues with the world-renowned Ginetta Junior Championship powered by Sunoco Race Fuels. Following its landmark 20th anniversary, the series arrives at Silverstone with massive grids of talented young racers.
R Racing returns to defend their titles, led by Winter Series champion Jesse Phillips and Red Bull Junior Melvin Kalousdian. They face stiff competition from Elite Motorsport, who field Scholarship winner Devon Hagelen, and new additions like Vicky Farfus (daughter of GT pro Augusto Farfus). With a strong contingent of returning drivers and high-profile rookies, expect the trademark bumper-to-bumper thrills that have made this one of the UK’s premier junior series.
Single-Seater Action
Completing the weekend’s line-up are the GB3 Championship and GB4 Championship. These single-seater series provide a look at the next generation of formula talent, adding further variety to a timetable that offers incredible value for UK motorsport fans.
With a historic opening-round slot and the return of Supercar Sunday, Silverstone is the perfect place to kick off what promises to be a sensational 2026 season.
