Nick Jones and Sven Müller showed strong pace across the latest round of the British GT Championship at Brands Hatch last weekend, only for their challenge for yet another strong finish to be ended by unfortunate contact.

The #66 Team Parker Racing-run Porsche 911 GT3 R was well in the fight for some big points when Müller’s charge up the order was halted by a collision when duelling for fifth, the contact damaging the Porsche’s steering and sending Müller into the gravel at Hawthorns and out of the race.

It was an unfortunate end to a race that had until that point promised much, with the #66 looking nailed-on to secure at least a fifth top-six finish in a row, and potentially even better.

Brands Hatch always offers a unique challenge in British GT terms due to there being no pre-event testing around the 2.4-mile Grand Prix Circuit, meaning all teams must make a fast start with only the twin practice sessions on Saturday morning to prepare for Qualifying.

Having raced at the Kent venue in the GT World Challenge Europe event earlier this year, Müller made no mistakes early on, placing the #66 inside the top four in each session, as Jones got back up to speed with the fast layout having not raced at Brands Hatch since 2022.

In this context, Jones did well to qualifying just outside the top 10 in his segment, backed up by Müller going second fastest of all in the Pro session, meaning the SD Porsche would start 10th, with every chance of moving forward in the two-hour race on Sunday. And that’s exactly what it did.

Jones made up ground immediately by passing Simon Orange’s Orange Racing McLaren, and then the Bridger Motorsport Honda NSX of Chun Cheong Ip to settle into an early eighth. This would spark a race-long battle with the Honda, which enjoyed immense straight-line speed against the Porsche.

Two safety car periods were needed to tidy up some early chaos, unsettling Jones’ rhythm, but he would pit for Müller from 10th when the window opened, with the Team Parker crew getting the German installed and fresh Pirellis bolted on. Müller rejoined in seventh after an ideal stop, and with the bit between his teeth.

He breezed past The Beechdean Astion Martin of Tom Wood to grab sixth and then became bottled up behind the Paddock Motorsport McLaren driven by Martin Plowman. Müller made several attempts to get past, but had the door closed at every opportunity. Things came to ahead when the two cars made contact into Surtees corner, spinning the McLaren and damaging the Porsche, leading to Müller going off the road a few turns later and ending the race in the gravel.

Regardless, both Jones and Müller again showed great potential as a pairing, and will aim to finish the season on a high at Donington Park in October.

Nick Jones said: “Today was just one of those days, really. We could have had so much more from this race, but it’s all part of motorsport and sometimes things don’t go your way. I was really pleased with how the weekend went from my perspective. I hadn’t raced here for three years so the first few sessions were a bit of an eye-opener as I dialled back in to how fast the Brands GP loop is. The race was always going to be a battle, but I manged to move forward and took my chances. The team did an excellent job in the pit stop and Sven kept that momentum going until the unfortunate clash with the McLaren. That bent the steering arm and there’s nothing you can do from there. It’s a shame, but we can take away some real positives from the performance.”

Sven Müller added: “In general it was a good weekend. We were competitive and had a great balance in the car so we could enjoy every lap of Brands, and going P2 in my qualifying session was great. Starting further back always makes it difficult to make up positions, especially on a track where you cannot overtake very easily. I really tried everything to get to the front, but my overtaking did not work out every time, and when the McLaren closed the door we touched and my steering broke. I’m sorry to the team and to Nick, but we will be back fighting for the final race.”

The British GT season finale will be held at Donington Park across the weekend of October 4/5.

SD Team racing drivers Nick Jones and Sven Müller end their long wait to get back into British GT action this weekend, and are aiming to extend their strong run of form in the penultimate event of the season at Brands Hatch.

With just two endurance events left to run this year, the two-hour race at the former Formula 1 venue in Kent offers another chance for Jones and Müller to get in amongst the points aboard the Team Parker Racing-run Porsche 911 GT3 R. A full six weeks have passed since the team’s last British GT outing, and both drivers are raring to get back into the action.

Jones and Müller have impressed across the last four British GT races, scoring a top six in every one of the one-hour sprint events held across Oulton Park and Snetterton, elevating the pair to the fringes of the top 10 in the championship points. The #66 Porsche has also featured prominently in the fight for the outright podium, with only an unlucky spin in mixed conditions denying Jones and Müller some silverware at Oulton Park.

The Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit also represents something of an outlier on the calendar. While the venue’s shorter Indy Circuit is one of the most-used tracks in the country, the longer 2.4-mile Grand Prix loop is an entirely different beast. With local noise restrictions heavily limiting its use, the track evolves more across a race weekend than any other, threading its way through the woods at high speed with some big elevation changes and blind apex corners. Those same noise rules also prevent any teams from having a pre-event test day, meaning all British GT runners will go into Free Practice on Saturday morning from scratch.

Prior experience of the track can be essential to making a strong start. While Jones has not raced at the venue since 2022, it has featured many times across his career. He has also yet to finish lower than seventh in any British GT race there since 2021. For Müller, it will ironically be one of the British circuits he knows best, with the German having already competed on the track during the GT World Challenge Europe event held there back in May, scoring a podium finish in the process.

Nick Jones says: “Brands Hatch is always a real challenge, even more so when I’ve not driven there for a few years! Regardless, I know the track well enough from the races I have done there and I’ve been watching plenty of Sven’s onboard footage from earlier this year, which just reminds you have mega the Grand Prix loop is. It’s so fast, and requires real bravery, so I’m really looking forward to dialling myself back into it. Sven’s already well up to speed and the team has been doing a great job this year, so it’s a great chance for us to turn up and show what we’ve got.”

Sven Müller adds: “I’m really looking forward to Brands Hatch, it’s one of my favourite UK tracks and having already raced there this year in the GT World Challenge I feel up to speed and already with a bit of practice. It’s a great circuit, fast and quite narrow, which makes it a challenge. It’s also a very short event, just two days with not much practice so we need to be spot on in terms of setup and driver adjustment from the start. It will make for a fast-paced weekend and hopefully we can make the most of our track time and get another strong result.”

The weekend at Brands Hatch gets underway with Free Practice and Pre-Qualifying on Saturday morning, ahead of Qualifying at 15:55 that afternoon. Sunday begins with a short Warm-Up, before the start of round seven, with the two-hour race scheduled to go green at 13:00. All sessions will feature live timing, while Qualifying and the race will be available live on both Sky Sports F1 and the GT World YouTube channel.

SD Team racing drivers Nick Jones and Sven Müller continued their strong run of form in the British GT Championship, twice matching their season-best result last weekend in a positive double-header at Snetterton.

The #66 Team Parker Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R was a threat throughout the brace of one-hour sprint races in Norfolk, with Jones and Müller adding a third consecutive sixth place finish in the opening encounter before extending that run to four consecutive top sixes in the second later in the day.

From as early as Saturday it was clear that the SD Team Porsche was likely to be a serious threat over a heatwave-hit weekend, as the rapid Müller clocked a time just 0.038s away from the fastest effort in Pre-Qualifying.

When the two all-important Qualifying sessions came around later that afternoon, the pace was just as hot as the soaring temperatures around the 2.969-mile circuit. Jones was first to take to the circuit, putting the #66 machine ninth on the grid for the opening race, handing the car over to Snetterton rookie Müller for the second 10-minute outing. The German surged to the sharp end of the times with his early efforts, but had to settle for a mightily close seventh place come the chequered flag.

With Sunday came two chances to progress through the field. Jones would be tasked with starting the Porsche in the first hour-long race. After a clean start Jones took advantage of a spinning Honda to climb up to eighth spot.

Jones switched with Müller for a fast-paced second stint to the chequered flag, the Porsche emerging from its mandatory pit stop still in eighth. Keeping tabs on the three-car fight for fifth ahead of him, Müller snapped up another position when Hugo Cook’s Lamborghini slithered wide after contact with Marcus Clutton’s McLaren. The latter was then also handed a time penalty that benefitted the SD Team further, with Jones and Müller coming home sixth overall in the final result.

Müller took the wheel for the second sprint of the day, and was instantly on the attack. During a chaotic first lap, he eased his way by Callum MacLeod’s McLaren at the Agostini hairpin, then set off after Jonny Adam’s Aston Martin. That fight lasted all the way up until the driver change, with Jones joining the action in a strong fourth place after the pit stops had cycled through, with his eyes set on the podium.

Holding his own in what became a tight three-car battle over fourth position, the Porsche ran wide under braking for the first corner and slipped to the back of the fight. Undeterred, Jones regained his rhythm and held off the chasing Simon Orange to confirm another sixth place finish – the fourth in succession for the SD Team crew.

Nick Jones said: “It’s all good! We’re very happy with the progress from the weekend. Just gutted I made a little mistake in the second race, so we could have finished fourth, which would have been a great result for us, but these things happen. If you’d have offered me sixth place before I think I would have taken it, and that’s now four sixth-place finishes on the bounce, so it’s getting closer to where we want. It’s been a good weekend, I’ve managed to stay close to Sven in lots of places and learned a lot after not being here for years and not much testing, so it’s good steps forward and I’m looking forward to Brands Hatch.”

Sven Müller said: “It’s my first time at Snetterton; I’d trained a bit on the simulator, but it’s a nice track and I really enjoyed the weekend. In qualifying we were just missing a little of bit of pace, but in the race it looked a bit better. Overtaking obviously is quite tricky here, but I had some good fun in both races. Race two at the start was a bit chaotic, but we managed to get a few places and it was looking good for the podium. Otherwise, I think we could have finished in the top three or four. Two P6 finishes; next race at Brands or at Donington it could come! I’m happy that Nick is improving all the time, with good pace this weekend, and I’m looking forward to the next race.”

The SD Team is next in British GT Championship action over the weekend of 23/24 August, the series returning to its endurance format with a single two-hour race at the Brands Hatch GP Circuit.

SD Team racing drivers Nick Jones and Sven Müller will get back into British GT Championship action at Snetterton this weekend and will be hoping to continue their strong sprint race form.

This weekend the British GT Championship descends on the Snetterton 300 Circuit in Norfolk for its second, and final, sprint event of the season, with twin 60-minute races awaiting the 23-car field.

Having skipped the last event at Spa-Francorchamps, this will be Jones and Müller’s first British GT appearance since Oulton Park back in May, where the #66 Team Parker Racing-run Porsche 911 GT3 R put on a show during the last sprint meeting.

After scoring a superb sixth in the opening race, the #66 was running in a podium place in the ever-changing conditions of the second race, before a gamble to stay on wet-weather tyres didn’t pay off. However, the pair banked a second top-six finish and their best points score yet from the Cheshire event.

With the weather looking more stable for this weekend, Jones and Müller will be hoping for more of the same pace they showed during that last outing. The short, sharp sprint format has a habit of opening the door for surprise results, with the 60-minute race time leaving zero margin for error either out on track or during a crew’s mandatory pit stop and driver change.

Sprint rounds also mean each driver gets a turn at qualifying the car for a race, with Jones’ best time setting the grid slot for race one, before Müller gets the chance to show what he can do by qualifying solo among the Pros to start race two.

While this will be the Porsche factory ace’s first-ever visit to Snetterton, he has already learned the layout on a simulator and will have Friday testing to dial himself into the three-mile layout.

Nick Jones says: “I’m so looking forward to being back racing this weekend, and we’re going to Snetterton aiming to give it both barrels. It’s been quite a while since we were last in the car, so testing on Friday will be really useful for both of us – for Sven as he’s never been to Snetterton, and for me as I haven’t been there since 2022! It’s a decent track to drive, with a good mix of corners… I’m certain Sven will pick it up really quickly and be right up there in the times. I’m excited to be back with the Team Parker boys and see what we can achieve.”

Sven Müller adds: “This will be my first-ever visit to Snetterton, so it’s another new circuit for me and I always enjoy the challenge of learning new places. From what I’ve seen on the simulator, Snetterton is quite fun with some interesting corners and quite a long lap, I’m looking forward to driving it for real. The last sprint round at Oulton Park was strong for us, so we will go and try to fight for a podium again and give it everything.”

The British GT weekend at Snetterton gets underway with testing on Friday, ahead of Free Practice, Pre-Qualifying and Qualifying on Saturday. Sunday begins with a morning Warm-Up, ahead of Race 1 at 10:50, and Race 2 at 15:05. Both races will be shown live on Sky Sports F1, while every session will have live timing via the official championship website. Qualifying and both races will also be streamed on the GT World YouTube channel.

SD Team racing drivers Nick Jones and Sven Müller enjoyed their strongest British GT Championship event of the season so far, with the pair scoring a pair of sixth-place finishes and a new lap record across the Bank Holiday weekend at Oulton Park.

The #66 Team Parker Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R was a constant threat from start to finish across Monday’s twin races, with the team even producing a thrilling fightback after a difficult Qualifying to record the first result. The second could have been even more, with the car running solidly in the podium places before an unlucky spin in difficult conditions set the team back. Regardless, both Jones and Müller have shown podium-challenging potential, and Müller’s star quality shone through with him also obliterating the circuit lap record.

On what was his first competitive visit to the Cheshire track, Müller’s pace was undeniable from the start, going quickest of all in Saturday’s Pre-Qualifying session, well beneath the championship’s existing race lap record.

That form looked to continue into Qualifying in the afternoon, but a change in track temperature caught many out. On his first outing at Oulton for three years, Jones set the 14th fastest time, setting the grid for race one on Monday, while Müller was just pipped for a front-row slot for race two as just 0.2s separated the top six. The #66 would instead line up third, but with the pace to move forward.

And move forward is exactly what the team did during an excellent opening race on Monday. Jones got a good start to immediately surge up two places as the pack ran through turn one. From there he settled into a rhythm, keeping clean and consistent as those around him lost their heads. Jones was into the top 10 by the time the race was neutralised following a heavy crash for a GT4 BMW.

Pitting to hand to Müller under the resulting Full Course Yellow, the German was on full attack come the restart, muscling his way past multiple cars which included a double pass on the Paddock McLaren and Bridger Honda at the chicane. Müller then obliterated the lap record by half-a-second on his eventual charge to sixth.

Starting third for race two, there was even greater potential for a big score, even if the changeable weather made tyre strategy a complete gamble. Müller started on wets after the grid formed up on a wet but drying track, and was soon up to second as many cars rolled the dice on an early stop for slicks. When rain returned soon after, staying out proved the right call, with Müller holding station before pitting for Jones.

With rain still in the air, the team made the call to keep Jones on wet-weather rubber instead of gamble and potentially throw a result away. Jones rejoined in second but the rain disappeared soon after, leaving him struggling to manage a rapidly overheating set of wets.

Jones held on but could do nothing to defend from the Orange Racing McLaren that had taken a punt on dry tyres. Likewise, the Honda NSX also lucked in with a slick gamble. Jones was the top runner on wets for the majority of the second half before the Porsche finally lost grip coming out of Island Bend. Jones did superbly to keep the car out of the wall and rejoin to record a second sixth place of the event.

Nick Jones said: “Overall it’s been a really strong weekend for us. Starting at the back in race one you don’t tend to expect much around Oulton as overtaking can be so tough here, but we got some chances and took every one of them! I just wanted to keep things clean in my stint and managed to pick up a few places before Sven did his thing. We knew the car would be quick, and he was truly rapid this weekend! Things were so marginal in race two with the weather, and wets were definitely the right call at the start of my stint but then we just got unlucky. The tyres started to boil and lose grip as the track dried and I did my best but was just gutted about the spin. Still, the boys on slicks would have filled the podium anyway, so it’s just the gamble you take. I’m still really pleased with how we performed this weekend.”

Sven Müller added: “It was a great weekend with a bit of everything, dry, wet, traffic and two very busy races! The car was really strong here, and I loved racing at Oulton Park. Nick did well at the start of race one and I had some fun overtaking and chasing down other cars ahead to get a good result for us. I didn’t even know I had set the new track record until I was told after, so that’s a nice thing to come away with. Race two was tricky with the changing track and we made the call to play safe and keep Nick on the wet tyres, which offered more grip at the time and were easier to manage than the slicks. But the weather turned and we got unlucky. Still, we will take these results as something really positive to build on.”

Jones and Müller are next in action for British GT’s annual European event at Spa-Francorchamps over the weekend of June 21/22.

 

SD Team racing drivers Nick Jones and Sven Müller face a fast-paced Bank Holiday with the British GT Championship holding its first sprint event of the season at Oulton Park this weekend.

Traditionally reserved for Easter weekend, British GT’s trip to the Cheshire parkland track instead moves further back in the schedule for this year, allowing teams and drivers additional mileage before taking on one of the most demanding events of the campaign.

With two one-hour races taking place on Bank Holiday Monday, Oulton’s fast sweeps and multiple pinch points mean the margin for error is zero for crews hunting the big points-paying finishes.

Jones and Müller have started the British GT season brightly, even if that has yet to be reflected in the championship table. The pair were on for a top-six finish in the season opener at Donington Park before an unlucky accident took them out of contention. Then at Silverstone a cocktail of bad luck led to a time penalty that again cost them the chance to fight for a strong result, even if Müller showed the #66 car’s potential by setting the second-fastest lap of the entire race.

Now the Team Parker Racing-run Porsche 911 GT3 R takes on a new kind of challenge with the sprint race format. With each driver getting their own qualifying session to set the grid for each race, it allows double the opportunity for success.

Nick Jones says: “I cannot wait to get back in the car, it feels like ages since Silverstone, so we’re ready and raring to go! Oulton Park is a great circuit, it’s really old school and very different to places like Silverstone and Donington, without much runoff or margin for error. I like the sprint race format, but it can also carry a high chance of safety cars, which can work for you or against you in such a short time space, so it can be a lottery. So much will come down to qualifying as Oulton is a tight track and just managing the GT4 traffic is tough enough, let alone passing another GT3. Still, the car and the team are in a good place so we’ll go give it our best shot.”

Sven Müller says: “I’m really looking forward to the third round of British GT, and my first race weekend at Oulton Park. In truth I don’t think the first two rounds have gone as we had expected, with just a lot of bad luck and small things that have held us back, so the key thing for this weekend is to be able to start a bit further up the grid because overall our race pace has been very good. Oulton Park is quite a tight track, quite small compared to Donington and Silverstone but it’s really fun to drive. We had a good test there at the start of the year so I know the layout and overtaking could be tough so qualifying well will be a big part of success. I’m excited to get going.”

British GT Championship action at Oulton Park gets underway with testing on Friday, before the event begins proper with twin practice sessions on Saturday morning and Qualifying in the afternoon. There will be no running on Sunday, with both one-hour races scheduled for Monday. All sessions will feature live timing, and both Qualifying and the races will be shown live on Sky Sports F1 and streamed via the GT World YouTube channel.

Nick Jones and Sven Müller endured a frustrating second round of the British GT Championship last weekend, with the pair coming away unrewarded from what became a turbulent three-hour race.

The seasonal showpiece Silverstone 500 event is never a straightforward affair, with the result often determined by more than just speed alone. The Team Parker Racing-run Porsche 911 GT3 R had speed in abundance, as shown by pro driver Müller setting the second-fastest race lap of the entire 21-strong GT3 field, but the car simply didn’t have the luck to go with it after an early penalty wrecked its chances.

Ultimately, Jones and Müller finished 15th overall, and just outside of the top 10 in class, but did at least stay clear of any scrapes on their run to the flag in a race that featured three Safety Car periods and a heap of drama elsewhere.

The Team Parker Porsche was in the mix from the start of the weekend, highlighted by Müller helping the team to third fastest in Free Practice on Saturday. However a dip in track temperatures across the day proved a challenge for the Porsche, which struggled to replicate the same performance levels in Qualifying. Nick and Sven would therefore start Sunday’s three-hour race from 15th, but with all eyes on moving forward.

When the lights went out Jones immediately got himself into a duel with the Steller Motorsport Audi, Optimum Motorsport McLaren, Team Abba Mercedes-AMG and Blackthorn Aston Martin, holding station despite big pressure across the opening half hour.

The team’s strategy was to pit Jones early and install Müller to gain track position, so the #66 Porsche boxed for its first driver change shortly after, only to then be undone by sheer bad luck. The car was fractionally under its mandatory minimum pit time, so was called back in to serve a stop-go. Add to that the fact that the majority of other teams essentially got their first pit stop for free with the first of the race’s Safety Car periods being called shortly after Müller had rejoined, and the deck was already stacked well against the SD car.

Jones and Müller persevered to make it to the chequered flag, with Müller showing the team’s potential by becoming just the second driver to dip into the 1:58s bracket during his final stint. The result however was unjust reward for the potential.

Nick Jones said: “That was a difficult weekend, and one where it seemed like no matter what we’d have tried things just wouldn’t have gone in our favour. The first stint was good, getting into the fight with a load of other cars, and then I fully understood the strategy to get Sven into the car early, but then it all came crashing down with the penalty. We were something like a few thousandths under, but it doesn’t matter as the rules are the rules, and then the timing of the first Safety Car really put us out of the game. Still, we know the car’s quick, and Sven showed his class in that last stint with that lap, so hopefully we can head to Oulton Park and be back on form there next month.”

Sven Müller said: “It was not the weekend we expected, especially as the car was actually really great to drive during my final stint, so the potential was there for at least a top five, but the early mistakes cost us too much. We were so close to the minimum pit time but the in-car timer had failed and we ended up being seven thousandths of a second under, which unfortunately brought a big penalty. But we still had a nice weekend though, and from Nick’s part he made some big improvements in his driving and we are working better together with each event with the team. The next round cannot come soon enough!”

The next round of the British GT Championship takes place at Oulton Park in Cheshire over May Bank Holiday, 24-26.

Nick Jones and Sven Müller are eager to bounce back to form in the British GT Championship, with this weekend’s showpiece Silverstone 500 event presenting a great opportunity to shine.

The SD Team-backed drivers were well in the running for a potential top-six finish during the season-opener at Donington Park earlier this month before their Porsche 911 GT3 R was caught in a collision at the chicane, wrecking the pair’s chances of an early points haul.

With the car now fully repaired by the Team Parker Racing technical crew, Jones and Müller have eyes on putting on a show in the year’s biggest race. The three-hour Silverstone 500 is always a hotly contested event, drawing in multiple one-off entries for the endurance race around Britain’s Grand Prix Circuit. This weekend will be no exception, with both a season-high 21-car GT3 entry and a huge crowd expected, with the action also being shown live on Sky Sports F1.

The longer race format means teams have extra strategic freedom, with no set pit windows allowing each crew to find the fastest way to the chequered flag.

Jones last contested this event in 2023, when he and the team gave the new-generation 992 GT3 R its British GT debut. This will be Müller’s first experience of the Silverstone 500, but the Porsche factory star knows the circuit well having competed in the Blancpain Endurance Series there in 2019. His vast experience of competing at world-class endurance events such as the Spa and Nürburgring 24 Hours will also make him one to watch aboard the #66 Porsche.

The overall Silverstone 500 winners are also rewarded with the prestigious 1932 RAC Trophy, which was originally awarded to the victors of the 500-mile race at Brooklands.

Nick Jones says: “The Silverstone 500 is a special race and always great to be a part of. It’s a long old race, and very physical with the pace of it and the longer stints, but I really enjoy that challenge. We had two days of testing to get back into the swing of things and that went well, so I’m sure the car will be in a good place and I know Sven’s fired up for this one. There were loads of positives to take from the first race at Donington, so we’ll aim to build on those and see where it can take us. There’s no doubt we’ll get more into the mix as the season goes on, so we’ll be giving it full gas from the start of the weekend.”

Sven Müller says: “I’m fully motivated and ready for my first Silverstone 500. It’s the biggest race of the year for the championship and we’ll have a few new guests starting with us that will make the competition even harder than the first round. We had a good test together and the car feels in good and hopefully we will get a bit more luck this time as the pace at Donington was good until the unlucky accident. But I think we are well prepared for three hours of hardcore racing, that’s exactly what we are looking forward to.”

British GT’s Silverstone 500 weekend gets underway with Free Practice and Pre-Qualifying on Saturday morning ahead of Qualifying at 16:15. Sunday begins with a morning Warm-Up ahead of the scheduled race start at 12:30. As well as live coverage of both Qualifying and the Race on Sky Sports F1, the action will be streamed live on the GT World YouTube channel and every session will have live timing.

Nick Jones and Sven Müller put on an eye-catching display during SD Team’s return to the British GT Championship at Donington Park last weekend, with the pair looking like top-six challengers before an unfortunate accident ended their race early.

The Team Parker Racing-operated Porsche 911 GT3 R showed strong pace in a cagey two-hour race, with Jones putting in a battling stint at the heart of a thrilling four-car fight. With Porsche factory star Sven Müller set to take over for the second half, the team looked certain to push on for a big points finish, but an unlucky accident just before the pit window opened led to heavy frontal damage and denied Müller the chance to show his considerable talent on his championship debut.

After a wait of two years, the SD-liveried Porsche returned to the British GT grid for the first time, flying the flag for the Stuttgart brand as the sole 911 GT3 in the field.

The team wasted little time in making its mark, with Müller going fifth fastest in opening practice on what was also his first official session ever driving the 2.5-mile Donington Park Circuit.

Qualifying yielded a starting place in the top 10 for Sunday’s race, but with every chance to push forward knowing the Porsche would be both fast and consistent in race trim rather than single-lap performance.

Jones took the wheel for the start and immediately got stuck into the action as he took on the #3 Optimum McLaren, #9 Paddock McLaren and #1 Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini Huracan in what soon became an enthralling four-car fight.

After passing the Paddock McLaren with a strong move at Goddards, Jones looked set to press on and attack the Optimum car, however a big slide coming out of the chicane tested Jones’ car control and, while he impressively held the car, it opened the door for the Paddock McLaren to slip past again.

Jones recovered to fight back, once again hauling in the two McLarens ahead and, once the field had been bunched thanks to a mid-session safety car needed to clear a stranded GT4 Lotus from the gravel, Jones found himself in a prime position to attack.

Chasing down the Optimum McLaren ahead, Jones got a slipstream down the back straight and lined up a move into the fast left-right chicane, going for a gap just as the McLaren turned in to defend. There was contact and the Porsche was sent spearing through the tyre stack at the apex, heavily damaging the front bodywork.

Jones somehow continued until pitting on schedule to hand to Müller for the second half. The Team Parker crew did what they could to patch up the Porsche and sent Müller out, but the resulting lack of downforce meant the German could never push to the limit. With the car so damaged, it made sense to park it early and reset ahead of Silverstone at the end of the month.

Nick Jones said: “It’s a disappointing way to finish what was otherwise a really good race for us. That’s probably the best racing performance I’ve ever put in in British GT. We got properly stuck into a tight four-car battle and I definitely held my own. Had we not had the accident then I know Sven would have been pushing for the top six, but it’s just one of those things that can happen in motorsport.

“I got a good run on the McLaren and he left a gap. I’m never not going to go for a gap as a racing driver, but he turned in at just the wrong moment and I was a passenger from then on. It’s quite impressive how the car took the hit and still was able to continue, but with so much damage, little to gain and on safety grounds we decided it was sensible to park the car. Still, the team did a great job all weekend, Sven’s been a joy to work with as usual, and we’ll be back at Silverstone pushing for a top result.”

Sven Müller added: “I really enjoyed my first British GT round, and my first trip to Donington Park. I was surprised to see how many fans came out and the atmosphere was great. Donington is probably now one of my favourite English tracks – a load of fun to race there! Obviously, it was not the result we wanted and the accident was very unfortunate for us. From my view Nick was up the inside and the other driver must not have seen him, so it was a racing incident that was just unfortunate and broke our car so I couldn’t continue. But overall the team was very good, the car was quick and we are looking forward to the next race at Silverstone.”

SD Team is next in action for the biggest race of the British GT season, the Silverstone 500, across the weekend of April 25-27.

The SD Team-backed Porsche 911 GT3 R will return to the British GT Championship after a two-year absence as the campaign begins anew for Nick Jones and Sven Müller at Donington Park this weekend.

Having not featured in the UK’s premier sportscar championship since a one-off appearance in 2023, the familiar SD-liveried Porsche will be back competing on home soil in the season’s opening two-hour race at the Derbyshire venue. Team Parker Racing will operate the car for Jones and Müller, reigniting the long-running partnership between the UK’s leading Porsche team, SD and Jones that first began back in 2017.

Since his final domestic campaign, Jones has impressed on the European stage, scoring multiple podium finishes in the Le Mans Cup, where he linked up with Porsche factory ace Müller for the first time last season. The pair went on an impressive run from mid-season, scoring two podium finishes from the year’s final four races, helping Jones to fourth place in the GT3 driver standings.

Müller will undoubtedly be a major pull on what will be his British GT debut. The German will be one of five factory drivers on the 26-car grid and will go head-to-head with his opposite numbers from Aston Martin, McLaren, Lamborghini and Mercedes-AMG. The SD Porsche will also be the sole representative of the Stuttgart brand on this year’s grid.

The two-hour season opener at Donington offers a great opportunity for both Jones and Müller to score some valuable early-season points. While Müller has never visited the venue before, Jones scored his breakthrough British GT3 victory there at the wheel of a Bentley Continental GT3 back in 2020. The pair head into the weekend keen to make a flying start to the season.

Nick Jones says: “I’m really excited for this weekend – it’s been a while since I got stuck into British GT! It’s a great championship, with a really strong entry list so we’ll no doubt have a fight on our hands from the word go. Being back with Team Parker has been brilliant, it’s like going racing with a bunch of mates every weekend and the car feels like it’s in a good place. Obviously, I’m also a fan of Donington Park, having won my first race there in the Bentley and it’s a track I know well and feel comfortable at. I’ve improved as a driver since racing in Europe, and working with a driver like Sven you’re always learning new things. I’m fitter and faster than I ever was during my other British GT seasons, so I’m looking forward to seeing what I can achieve as Nick 2.0.”

Sven Müller says: “I’m really looking forward to this weekend as it’ll be my first-ever race in British GT, and my first at Donington Park, so everything will be new to me. But we have a good team behind us in Team Parker Racing and they have helped to prepare us well. I’ve had a day to learn the Donington track and that should be enough to learn most of the characteristics of the track, but most importantly we are looking forward to a good race weekend, hopefully with minimal problems so we can start the season strong. Let’s see how it goes!”

Action for the British GT Championship season opener at Donington Park gets underway with twin practice sessions on Saturday morning ahead of Qualifying at 15:50. Sunday begins with Warm-up in the morning, with the two-hour race set to begin at 12:45. All sessions will feature live timing, while qualifying and the race will be streamed live on the GT World YouTube channel.