British Gt Starts The Season At Silverstone

The opening round of British GT is upon us with the series heading to Silverstone, but what do you need to know?

(Image credit to Imogen Moggridge)

The round takes place from the 25th to the 26th April at the Silverstone circuit - the home of motorsport. This is the first time since 2011 that  Silverstone has hosted the season opener and brings fans the longest race of the season - Silverstone 500 (3 hours). 

Here is the schedule for the weekend 

Saturday 25th April

09:30 - Free Practice 1

12:20 - Pre-Qualifying

15:45 - Qualifying 1 - GT3 

15:59 - Qualifying 2 - GT3 

16:13 - Qualifying 3 - GT4

16:28 - Qualifying 4 - GT4 

Sunday 26th April

09:30 - Warm up 

13:00 - Race

(Image credit to Imogen Moggridge)

The race takes place across the international circuit layout, giving fans 5.89km of racing per lap, it also gives some iconic sections. Maggots and Becketts will be a place to watch for, the fast flowing section into the double bend brings a test of how late the drivers will brake but also how daring they will be in overtakes. Also watch out for the Hangar Straight, in previous races it has been a key place for overtakes, giving drivers a chance to get ahead, and giving fans an exciting moment. 

The mix of GT3 and GT4 cars gives the grid a mix of pro drivers and amateur/growing talent. There are over 25 cars in the race with a mix of manufacturers. The McLarens have shown promise in testing but so have the Mercedes-AMGs meaning going into this round it is still all to play for. However these aren’t the only manufacturers aiming to impress, Porsche and BMW both coming into the season hoping to top the times and the championships in at least one of their cars. 

In terms of what to watch out for, there is a lot to recommend. As it is Silverstone, the weather is an important factor, across the 3 hour race the chance of the conditions changing is high. At Silverstone rain is always likely, however due the length of the circuit, rain at one corner doesn’t mean it is at another, posing a strategy challenge. Wet weather or dry weather tyres?

The length of the race brings in driver swaps. These occur during pitstops and need to be seamless. A mistake during these can cost teams seconds over rivals. Teams will have these planned into strategy and will be prepared for it, it just comes down to delivering. 

Watch out for traffic management, there is a mix of GT4 and GT3 cars meaning the lap times will vary. The GT3s are notably quicker and will require the GT4s to move over when coming up to lap them. However getting stuck in traffic makes this difficult and can majorly affect the course of the race. 

Article written by Imogen Moggridge © Imogen Moggridge 2026