Defensive masterclass delivers British GT4 title for Turner

Darren Turner delivered a defensive masterclass at Brands Hatch on his way to claiming the British GT Championship GT4 class overall drivers’ title along with Grange Racing with FSR team-mate Dan Lavery, on Sunday.

The works Aston Martin driver absorbed immense pressure throughout his hour-long stint from two pursuers, one of which was title rival MK Racing, to finish second in the GT4 class – just enough to clinch the title in a dramatic race that will live long in the memory of British GT fans.

For Turner it marked his first overall British GT crown and added to the GT4 Pro-Am title he and Lavery had earned at the previous round at Donington Park earlier in the month.

“This one does feel a little bit special,” admitted Turner, whose two 2026 titles add to the two GT4 Pro-Am titles he won with Newbridge Motorsport in 2021 and 2022. “It’s obviously lovely to have won the GT4 title outright, and to have won the GT4 Pro-Am title three times.

“It’s something you have forever, and of course when I look back on my career, these will be some of the highlights. But if I’m honest I’m probably more delighted for Dan and the team. What they have achieved in their first year of GT racing is nothing short of sensational.”

Turner, Lavery and Grange Racing were one of five combinations that could have claimed the title, but in the end it came down to a straight fight between the two Aston Martin GT4s of Grange Racing with FSR and MK Racing, after the title-contending Innovation Racing Ginetta retired at the halfway mark, and the Century Motorsport BMW dropped out of contention following a lengthy success penalty during the mid-race driver stop.

Lavery and Turner qualified fifth, behind the BMW, but ahead of the rival Aston Martin.

“Dan did another great job in qualifying,” said Turner. “He’s grown in confidence, particularly in the second half of the season, and he’s put in some stellar laps. That has really helped our aggregate grid position in the longer races this year.”

Lavery dropped to sixth at the start, but with such a big prize at stake he wasted no time racing back up to fifth. “He was fired up for the weekend and taking no prisoners,” added Turner, “which was great to see.”

Running ahead of MK Racing’s Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team Ambassador Jessica Hawkins throughout, Lavery ended his stint (after surviving a Full Course Yellow that luckily didn’t turn into a Safety Car period) having done exactly what was required of him.

“If there had been a Safety Car, it would have bunched up the field and we would have been in big trouble,” said Turner. “But as it was, I came out of the pits in second place, once everyone else had served their success penalties from Donington Park, and that set us up nicely.”

But the job was far from complete. Turner, whose Aston Martin did not have the pace of some of his rivals, was struggling to get his tyres to work consistently and was suffering understeer. And realising that second place was all he needed to win the championship, he suddenly came under pressure from a faster Ginetta being driven by Jack Mitchell.

“Jack played very fair with me,” said Turner, “but there was no rest. And as we battled, that brought Will Orton’s MK Racing Aston Martin back into play.”

Orton, Hawkins’ team-mate, was also in contention for the title but had to pass both Mitchell and Turner to secure the championship, and so the pressure was on. At one point, with about 15 minutes to go, Mitchell tried to pass Turner on the outside of Druids as the 52-year-old left space for a GT3 to lap them both on the inside, and the pair made contact.

“I was focussed on making sure I dropped in behind the GT3 at the apex and didn’t see Jack,” explained Turner. “Luckily neither of us suffered too much from it, which I was glad about.”

It did give Orton a chance to pounce on the Ginetta, which meant that the final laps required all of Turner’s experience and racing savvy to contain the challenge.

“Having someone right behind you is part of racing,” said Turner. “Attacking is fun and defending is fun; you make the most of whichever position you’re in. The GT3 traffic adds an unpredictable element that you have to manage as well.

“If you’re defending against one car, that’s straightforward enough. With a car so close behind, though, your rearward visibility is limited. There are only certain corners where you can see farther back and judge when a GT3 car is approaching.

“You’re trying to work out where it will catch you and make a plan. Occasionally, I had to defend my position relative to a GT3 car so I could stay tight to the apex. If it pushed me wide, the Ginetta or the other Aston could nip underneath, get the momentum and pass. That was the trickiest part.”

By the last lap, Turner’s tyres were spent and his Vantage was handling nowhere near its best. He caught a slide on the exit of Clearways coming up to the finish line, and Orton got the momentum – until he put a wheel on the grass, which was enough to ensure Turner stayed ahead across the line to seal his first championship title in four years.

Turner and Lavery ended the season level on 143.5 points with Hawkins and Orton, but were awarded the title on countback, having claimed two overall GT4 victories to MK Racing’s none. Grange Racing with FSR won the GT4 Teams’ title on the same basis.

“For me the greatest satisfaction is seeing how Grange Racing with FSR has developed and performed over the year,” said Turner. “[Team manager] Elliott Cole’s leadership has been a big part of that. You can see that in the culture he’s building, there’s a very good atmosphere in the team.

“Dan has been so impressive, too. From the beginning of the year to the end, he’s become a different driver. He always had the natural ability, but he puts in a huge amount of effort. He thinks beyond his own driving: what does the team need, how do we keep moving forward, and what does he need to give Elliott and the crew to make sure we’re competitive?

“So I’m incredibly happy for Dan and the team, and for Grange and Cinch for coming on board and supporting the project. It’s a lovely way to finish the season.”