.jpeg)
Round 2 of the 2025 British GT Championship is upon us and this time it's the world-famous Silverstone Grand Prix circuit that's set to play host, for the series' annual 500-mile race.
Whilst Birch’s very own tame racing driver, Tom Chilton will be out in action for the BTCC season-opening at Donington, Birch-backed Dailysportscar with eager news hound Mo Rehman will be keeping up with the news at Silverstone.
The entry list for Sunday's encounter is strong, with a boosted field of 33 participants, including additional Aston Martin and Ferrari entries in the GT3 category.
After the opening round saw Mercedes-AMG team 2 Seas Motorsport and Lamborghini partner Barwell Motorsport duke it out for the win at Donington, the rest of the field are looking to play catch up.
Beating either or both these teams will require perfect execution and a pinch of luck in the longest race of the year, especially as Barwell's attack has received a boost with the return of 2024 champion Rob Collard to its ranks.
.jpeg)
An unforeseen medical procedure prevented Collard from taking part in the Media Day at Silverstone and the first race, where he was replaced by super-sub Matt Topham. That's in the past now, he's now been cleared for a comeback and will partner Hugo Cook in the Surrey-based team's #1 Lamborghini Huracan GT3, and is eager to get a first win banked.
“I’m so excited to get back into the car and get my season started,” says Collard. “I don’t feel at home unless I have a crash helmet on, so it’s been a hugely frustrating start to the year for me, but I’m back and ready to dive into the deep end.
“It’ll be a bit of a shotgun start to the year, having had very limited testing and going straight into a very demanding race like the Silverstone 500. But I’ve won that race before [in 2020] and I’d like to think we stand a chance at doing it again, which would be really amazing."
Ferrari will also make its highly anticipated return to the British GT championship for the first time in five years with Spirit of Race, which is running two cars this weekend.
Its #55 Ferrari 296 GT3 for Duncan Cameron and Matt Griffin will make its first appearance of the season after a clash with the ELMS opener at Barcelona forced the team to sit out Round 1. The pair look to be a force to be reckoned with, as Griffin has eight class British GT titles on his CV and Cameron has a wealth of GT3 experience to draw from.
The Swiss-flagged team's second Ferrari may also turn heads. Challenge driver Marcos Vivian will partner Italian ace Francesco Castellacci, who finished fifth at last weekend’s FIA World Endurance Championship 6 Hours of Imola.
Blackthorn has also opted to field additional Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo in the Silver-Am category with its #19 machine, set to be co-driven by team owner Claude Bovet and former Carrera Cup GB star Charles Bateman.
These additions, plus an Audi entered by Buckingham-based Steller Motorsport, mean the Silver-Am category now boasts five cars, including the two full-season efforts from Beechdean AMR and new Honda outfit Bridger Motorsport.
Meanwhile, the GT4 fight should be as fierce as ever. 12 cars are listed, including four entered in the shorter Endurance Cup campaign, but all eyes are on Optimum Motorsport and its pair of McLaren Arturas. The team has won the previous two editions of the Silverstone 500 and is looking to make it a hattrick.
Competition will be stiff though. Mercedes outfit Team Parker Racing is riding high after a podium finish for Seb Morris and Ed McDermott at Donington. Could it spring a surprise here?
Sunday's race is set to run between 12:30 and 15:30 local time. You won't want to miss it!
.jpeg)
