With the motorsport season finally kicking back into life, it was time for the British GT Championship to get underway — and where better to start than the iconic Silverstone Circuit for the 3-hour Silverstone 500 endurance race? And in true “this is definitely not normal UK weather” fashion, we were treated to a sunny Sunday in April. Blue skies, warm air… no complaints here.
Starting ninth on the grid, Optimum’s #3 McLaren didn’t exactly look like a race-winning threat early on. But motorsport rarely sticks to the script. A strong launch off the line followed by a sharp strategy call mid-race flipped everything on its head. Suddenly, they were right in the mix — and when a well-timed Safety Car fell their way, that was pretty much the nail in the coffin for everyone else.
Early doors, it was Paradine’s #91 BMW that looked like the team to beat. They hit the front and were pushing hard, chasing what could’ve been a record-breaking third Silverstone 500 win. But endurance racing has a habit of biting back. A fire took out Barwell’s #63 Lamborghini from P2, and a string of badly timed Safety Cars completely derailed the BMW’s charge.
Beechdean’s #7 Aston Martin was another car consistently up at the sharp end, looking solid throughout — until contact with 2 Seas’ #15 Mercedes GT3 knocked them off rhythm. In the end, second place went to Century Motorsport with their #44 BMW after keeping things clean and playing the long game.
Over in GT4, Innovation Racing pulled off a seriously impressive debut win. Not bad for their first outing. That said, it wasn’t exactly a relaxed Sunday drive in the Ginetta — far from it. Starting from pole gave them the edge, but with five Safety Car periods constantly mixing things up, it all came down to keeping calm and making the right calls at the right time. MK Racing brought their Aston Martin GT4 home in second, while Optimum doubled up on silverware with another podium — this time with the #59 McLaren Artura.
One thing worth mentioning though — and not in a good way — is what’s happening around Silverstone itself. The changes being made don’t really feel like they’re improving things for fans. Yes, there’s a new viewing bank near the karting complex, which is a nice addition. But elsewhere, it feels like a step backwards. Viewing spots around the International pits and Club corner have disappeared. Oddly, the bridge from the Hangar Straight back to the National pits was closed for this event. That’s a big hit to accessibility.
All in all, a cracking way to start the season on track — just a shame the off-track experience isn’t quite keeping up.
Don’t forget to check out the image gallery below and also the trackside video.
Gallery
Race Results: Here
Disclaimer: We are not associated with the MSA, SRO, or British GT, any teams taking part or any sponsors of the event.
