A new era in the British GT Championship will begin at Brands Hatch this weekend with the start of Pirelli’s exclusive multi-year deal to supply one of the most prestigious racing series in Britain.
Expanding into British GT extends the commitment that Pirelli has made to GT racing worldwide, supplying major championships in Europe and the United States and prestigious races on famous circuits like Bathurst and Macau.
The British GT Championship is the premier series of its type in the UK and features racing versions of road-going supercars competing on well-known circuits around the country. Event formats vary during the season, but the opening round will feature a single race lasting two hours. Two drivers share each car, with mid-race driver changes.
Fighting at the front of the field will be the cars that compete in the GT3 class, the basis for the most popular GT championships. Adding to the variety and competition in British GT though is the secondary GT4 category. In all, 10 different marques are represented including Aston Martin, Bentley, Lamborghini and McLaren.
Pirelli supplies a single compound of slick tyre, the P Zero DHC tyre for the GT3 class and the DH tyre for GT4. The Cinturato WH tyre will be used by both categories for wet weather – always a distinct possibility in mid-April in England. These tyres have already proven successful in other GT championships, with ease of use for both professional and amateur drivers a key characteristic together with a quick warm-up, something the British drivers have already benefitted from during winter testing. Drivers have also praised the longevity of the tyres’ performance.
As well as the tyres, there are plenty of novelties on the grid. Last year’s GT3 champions have parted ways: Andrew Howard will now be partnered in his Beechdean Aston Martin Vantage GT3 by the reigning GT4 champion Ross Gunn, while Aston Martin factory driver Jonny Adam has switched to TF Sport to join Derek Johnston.
Another leading team is Barwell Motorsport, which brings the spectacular Lamborghini Huracan GT3 and factory driver Fabio Babini to British GT for the first time. Iconic sportscar entrant Ecurie Ecosse will run a McLaren 650S GT3 and also give a debut to the brand new McLaren 570S GT4 with teenagers Ciaran Haggerty and Sandy Mitchell behind the wheel, both part of an exciting new breed of quick young drivers turning to the GT4 class to forge careers as professionals.
The Brands Hatch Grand Prix loop is among the most popular circuits in Europe, providing a great challenge for the drivers with fast, flowing and undulating corners, with relatively little room for error. Pirelli can call upon track knowledge from the Blancpain GT Series, which has visited the Kent venue since 2014. Braking and traction demands are low, and although the ever-increasing downforce of the latest GT3 cars is raising the lateral demands through corners, Pirelli’s worldwide experience can be relied upon. In mid-April, cool temperatures are most likely, so tyre performance should be consistent over the race distance.
Matthew Corby, Pirelli Motorsport Operations Manager, said: “It will be very exciting to get our first season with British GT underway, particularly at a classic circuit like Brands Hatch. Supplying such an important national championship complements our existing GT programmes, and with our products already a proven quantity in GT racing, it has been a seamless move so far. That’s only furthered for the first round by our past experience of Brands Hatch with the Blancpain GT Series. With some fantastic manufacturers and models added to the British GT line-up for this year, we’re looking forward to a great season.”
