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British GT Champions Return for Silverstone Showdown

Dan Harper and Darren Leung, the reigning British GT champions, are set to make a special appearance in the championship’s flagship event at Silverstone later this month. The duo secured their 2023 title while racing a Century Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 and will now display their skills in a one-off return to the series.

Following their triumphant season, Harper and Leung will be participating in the GT World Challenge Europe for the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Last year, they made appearances in select rounds of the British GT championship but with different partners. Harper teamed up with Michael Johnston for the first four rounds, while Leung raced alongside Dries Vanthoor at Silverstone.

During the three-hour race, Leung and Vanthoor were in contention for victory, leading in their Century BMW before a refueling mishap thwarted their chances for points. This incident prevented Leung from joining the ranks of Sandy Mitchell as a two-time winner of the Silverstone 500—a title he had previously won alongside Harper during their championship-winning season.

However, the duo has the opportunity to achieve this milestone on April 27 when they drive a BMW M4 GT3 Evo, which will be supported by Paradine Competition, a team established by Leung last year. “To be honest, the new Evo isn’t drastically different from the previous M4, with which I could, and probably should, have secured victories in the last two 500 events,” Leung remarked. He is also competing in the World Endurance Championship with a United Autosports McLaren GT3.

Leung expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming race, stating, “I really love this event; the endurance aspect suits my driving style, and we can be creative with our strategies. Dan is always quick at Silverstone, and without the pressure of championship points like the full-season entrants, we can focus solely on winning.”

Harper, having expanded his international racing profile since clinching the British GT title, recently secured the 2024 GT World Challenge Europe Bronze Cup with Leung and is also competing in the IMSA SportsCar Championship with Paul Miller Racing’s BMW.

“I’m thrilled to be heading back to the British GT Championship for the Silverstone 500,” said Harper. “It’s a busy year for me in North America and Europe, so fitting in a home race in British GT is wonderful. Winning the Silverstone 500 last year was a significant moment for us and an honor; we’re eager to etch our names on the winners’ trophy once more this year.”

The Silverstone event will kick off the second round of the 2025 season, following the Donington Park opener, where the 2 Seas Mercedes pairing of Charles Dawson and Kiern Jewiss achieved victory from pole position.

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