Brands Hatch, perfect weekend for Yates: Hunter and Dewhirst share spoils

The third instalment of the Ferrari Challenge UK Trofeo Pirelli race series kicked off this weekend in Kent at the renowned Brands Hatch race circuit. In front of nearly 10,000 spectators, the drivers had the opportunity to race the historic British circuit in both configurations: in Race 1, on the short and popular Indy Circuit, followed by Race 2 on the longer and complex GP layout.

Qualifying 2. In Trofeo Pirelli, Gilbert Yates (Charles Hurst) delivered his 14th consecutive fastest lap to secure his place at the front of the grid, posting a 1:25.617. In Coppa Shell, Mike Dewhirst (Dick Lovett Swindon) did enough to take top spot ahead of Peter Hunter (Stratstone Manchester), pulling out a quickest lap of 1:27.487. 

Race 2: 

Trofeo Pirelli. From the green flight, Paul Simmerson (Graypaul Birmingham) and Pranav Vangala (HR Owen) traded early blows in a first-sector battle. Fedor Samorukov (HR Owen) took advantage and briefly found a way past the squabbling pair, before Vangala found a way back past his fellow HR Owen stablemate, demoting Simmerson off the podium places into fourth position. Further up, Yates exploited his lead and quickly pushed ahead of second place, acquiring a 5-sec advantage in the opening stages.

Further back in the order, Calum Leathem (Charles Hurst) made strong progress, passing Stratstone Colchester driver Joseph Dean before closing in on the well-positioned John Marcar (Graypaul Birmingham). Leathem, a rookie representing Charles Hurst, battled hard to make it past Marcar, and an off by Simmerson created traffic ahead for the pair which intensified things further.

Minutes later, the unexpected emergence of the yellow flag following a collision between Dean and Paul Dixon (Dick Lovett Swindon) abruptly calmed proceedings and fixed the order for an extended period. The yellow flag period ended with just moments to spare, and the stage appeared set for an exciting one-lap shootout.

However, the order prevailed as it was. Yates, previously 12-secs ahead of championship rival Vangala, crossed the line to complete the perfect race weekend at Brands Hatch and extend his lead at the top of the Trofeo Pirelli leaderboard – now on 101 points overall. Samorukov celebrated his success too, enjoying his first podium celebration of the year. 

Coppa Shell. Hunter encountered racing traffic in the early stages of the race, allowing polesitter Dewhirst to capitalise quickly and consolidate the lead. The championship leader looked comfortable, until a spin from Simmerson ahead in the Trofeo Pirelli class created traffic in front for the Dick Lovett driver and opened the door for Hunter to make a move.

Further back in the order, a three-way battle was developing between Dixon, Paul Rogers (HR Owen) and Darren Howell (JCT600 Leeds) - less than a second separated the trio. This tightly contested group fought for several laps, until an unfortunate incident involving Dixon and Trofeo Pirelli driver Dean saw their retirement and the emergence of the yellow flag.

The safety car fixed the order until the race timer hit 00:00. Despite the green flag appearing on the final lap, it was Dewhirst who brought it home a win for Race 2 - sharing the spoils with Hunter overall as the pair both celebrated victories in Round 3. 12 points separate them at the top of Coppa Shell, with Dewhirst extending his lead to 91 points overall.

Next Race. The Ferrari Challenge UK race series moves to Donington Park next month for the penultimate round of racing in the 2025 season. The racing action begins on the weekend of 26-27 July, and spectators can watch the race at the circuit or online at live.ferrari.com.