Dawson and Jewiss Claim British GT Titles at Donington Park Finale

British GT3 Title Secured in Dramatic Donington Park Finale

Charles Dawson and Kiern Jewiss have successfully claimed the 2025 British GT3 title after finishing fourth at the Donington Park finale. This two-hour race, held under challenging conditions, was won by Alex Martin and Sandy Mitchell of Barwell Motorsport. The victory marked a significant moment in the championship, as it secured the title for Dawson and Jewiss despite the fierce competition.

The 2 Seas Mercedes team had only needed a seventh-place finish to ensure their championship win, as they were competing against three other strong contenders: Giacomo Petrobelli and Jonny Adam (Blackthorn Aston Martin), Morgan Tillbrook and Marvin Kirchhofer (Optimum McLaren), and Kevin Tse and Maximilian Gotz (2 Seas Mercedes). However, the race's unpredictable weather conditions added an extra layer of difficulty to the final showdown.

Unpredictable Weather Shapes the Race Outcome

The race started with changeable conditions that affected every driver’s strategy. Rob Collard and Hugo Cook, driving for Barwell, completed a 1-2 finish with Tse and Gotz in third place. The initial stages of the race saw Barwell dominating, thanks to their excellent performance in the cold conditions during qualifying.

However, the challenges for the championship contenders became apparent early on. Qualifying results showed that the top positions were dominated by Barwell, with Rob Collard and Hugo Cook securing first place. Matt Topham and Marcus Clutton of Orange Racing McLaren took third, while Dawson and Jewiss finished fourth. The other title contenders—Petrobelli/Adam, Tse/Gotz, and Tillbrook/Kirchhofer—were placed sixth, seventh, and eighth respectively.

The drivers struggled with tailwinds during qualifying, with four-time series champion Jonny Adam describing the gusts as "never felt like it before." The conditions remained similar on race day, with Barwell maintaining a strong lead from the start.

Drama and Challenges Throughout the Race

As the race progressed, several incidents and strategic decisions shaped the outcome. A full-course yellow was triggered when an Aston Martin GT4 went off the track, leading to a safety car period. This disrupted the pace of the race, but the drivers continued to push forward.

Petrobelli made a bold move to overtake Dawson at the Old Hairpin, which resulted in a collision that sent both drivers back down the field. This incident shifted the focus to the Optimum McLaren, as Morgan Tillbrook moved up to third. However, the McLaren lacked the pace of the leading Lamborghinis, and Tillbrook eventually fell behind.

A critical moment came when Dawson attempted to overtake Tillbrook at Coppice, resulting in contact that damaged Dawson’s front bumper and incurred a 10-second penalty. Despite this setback, Dawson pushed through, overtaking Darren Leung for third place at Starkey’s Bridge.

Strategic Pit Stops and Final Moments

The pit window played a crucial role in the race, as driver changes and penalties influenced the standings. Dawson and Jewiss pitted an additional 20 seconds due to their previous victory at Brands Hatch, while Collard and Cook served an extra 10 seconds for their third-place finish. Meanwhile, Tillbrook and Kirchhofer faced a 15-second penalty, which became irrelevant as their car retired from the race.

As the rain intensified, drivers prioritized safe racing, with only a few daring moves for wet tyres. Clutton maintained his position, while Jewiss and Gotz managed to move up due to the pit stops of other drivers. By the final 20 minutes, the race was largely decided, with Mitchell crossing the line 30.945 seconds ahead of Cook. Gotz finished third after passing Clutton late in the race.

Championship Celebration and Additional Highlights

Dawson expressed his joy after securing the title, calling Kiern Jewiss a "superstar" and thanking everyone involved. Both drivers are rookies in the British GT3 category, making their achievement even more impressive.

In addition to the GT3 title, Jack Brown became the first two-time British GT4 champion, winning the class with Optimum McLaren co-driver Marc Warren.