2026 BRITISH GT CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 4

The British GT Championship rolls out of the UK and onto the continent as Round 4 takes the grid to the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit on 20-21 June. After three rounds of breathtaking drama, shocking upsets and title battles that refuse to follow a script, the iconic Belgian venue could not provide a more fitting stage for the next chapter of what is shaping up to be one of the most compelling seasons in recent memory. Crucially, Spa also hosts this year’s first two-hour race, a format that will test strategy, endurance, and composure to an entirely different degree. Adding yet another layer of spectacle to the occasion, the British GT grid will share the circuit with the Championnat de France FFSA GT and the Alpine ELF Cup, guaranteeing a packed, diverse, and utterly spectacular weekend of motorsport in the Ardennes.

GT3 – The Championship Tightens

If Oulton Park proved anything, it is that this GT3 title fight has absolutely no intention of producing a clear favourite any time soon. Andrew Howard and Ross Gunn arrive at Spa sitting at the top of the drivers’ standings after collecting a pair of runner-up finishes across the Bank Holiday weekend, a remarkable return given that Beechdean AMR swept both pole positions at Oulton, only to be denied victory each time by the finest of margins. Howard rolled back the years to top qualifying for the first time since 2015, while Gunn claimed the fastest lap in both races and delivered a barnstorming final lap charge in Race 1 that fell just 0.2 seconds short of overhauling Barwell’s Lamborghini at the flag. The Aston Martin squad also claimed British GT’s team of the weekend award. So while the results column may not yet reflect their pace, the momentum inside the Beechdean garage is palpable.

Barwell Motorsport, however, are not about to hand anything over willingly. Rob Collard and Hugo Cook delivered a masterclass of clinical, controlled racing in Race 1 to extend Barwell’s extraordinary Oulton record to ten victories from 21 races with the Huracan, with Collard stretching his own personal winning streak at the circuit to three consecutive years. It was a victory built on Collard’s dominant opening stint, where he swept around Howard at Old Hall and established a nine-second cushion that ultimately proved just sufficient. Their Race 2 was more difficult, with maximum Compensation Time dropping the Lamborghini out of podium contention, but the pace is undeniably there.

Optimum Motorsport, meanwhile, delivered the defining statement of the Oulton weekend in Race 2. Morgan Tillbrook and Ben Barnicoat, who had been agonisingly close at both Silverstone and Oulton, finally converted their pace into outright victory, crossing the line 3.7 seconds clear of Beechdean to open their 2026 account in style. Barnicoat had pushed Gunn all the way in Race 1 qualifying before falling a heartbreaking 0.019 seconds shy of pole for the second event running, and the manner in which the pairing ultimately delivered on Sunday afternoon underlines just how dangerous they will be over a two-hour race distance at Spa. Kevin Tse and Ben Green completed the Race 2 podium for 2 Seas Mercedes-AMG, and with Alex Martin, Jarrod Waberski, and Jonathon Beeson all within striking distance further down the standings, the battle for the upper reaches of the GT3 leaderboard remains as open and unpredictable as ever heading to Belgium.

GT4 – Champions Under Pressure

Thomas Holland and Hadley Simpson arrive at Spa carrying the weight of the GT4 championship lead, but after Oulton Park, they will be acutely aware that the pack is closing in from all directions. Simpson had put in a stunning qualifying lap to secure Race 1 pole, only to see the advantage of that prime grid position eroded by Compensation Time from their Silverstone victory, leaving the Innovation Racing Ginetta to complete the opening race podium despite serving 25 seconds of additional pitstop time. Race 2 produced a similar story. Another podium, another superb result on merit, but a championship that continues to inch closer behind them.

The drivers making the biggest statements at Oulton were Branden Templeton and Jack Collins, whose fan-favourite dragon-liveried Century BMW (affectionately known as Chomp) roared to a maiden GT4 victory in Race 1 against all the odds. Collins was forced to take to the grass to avoid a first-lap incident before battling brilliantly back through the field, and when Templeton emerged from the pitstops to resist Will Orton’s best efforts over the closing laps, the celebrations were thoroughly deserved. Jessica Hawkins and Will Orton continued their impressive season in the MK Racing Aston Martin, collecting a second-place finish in Race 1 before pushing all the way to the final lap in Race 2, where Hawkins ran side-by-side with Daniel Lavery up Clay Hill in a breathtaking finale, only to fall 0.4 seconds short at the flag.

That Race 2 victory belonged to Daniel Lavery and Darren Turner, who delivered a maiden GT4 win for Grange Racing with FSR in the most dramatic of circumstances. Toro Verde’s Luke Shaw and Jack Mitchell had appeared to be cruising to a comfortable victory after Mitchell bolted clear from pole and built a commanding advantage, but a cruel steering failure with less than 20 minutes remaining sent Shaw helplessly into the gravel at Lodge and blew the contest wide open. Lavery, who had received the car in fourth, emerged from the pitstops second and then held his nerve through a relentless late charge from Hawkins to secure a famous win. It was a result that serves as a reminder of just how unforgiving and unpredictable this championship can be and with Spa’s unique demands about to add an entirely new dimension, there is every reason to expect the unexpected when the lights go out in Belgium.

Spa-Francorchamps has a habit of rewriting championships, rewarding the brave, and breaking the hearts of those who arrive unprepared. With a two-hour race distance stretching strategy and endurance to their limits, a shared grid bursting with world-class machinery, and a British GT title fight that remains gloriously unresolved in both GT3 and GT4, the stage could not be set more perfectly for a defining weekend. You do not miss a single lap.