British GT champions to return at Silverstone aboard a Paradine BMW

British GT champions Dan Harper and Darren Leung will return on a one-off basis to contest the championship’s blue-riband event at Silverstone later this month.

The duo clinched the 2023 title aboard a Century Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 in their only British GT season as team-mates, before switching to GT World Challenge Europe together for 2024 and 2025.

They did compete in select British GT rounds last year though, but with different co-drivers: Harper started the first four rounds alongside Michael Johnston at Century, while Leung contested Silverstone with Dries Vanthoor.

Leung and Vanthoor almost won the three-hour race too, having led aboard the Century BMW until a refuelling issue dropped them out of the points.

It stopped Leung from becoming only the second driver after Sandy Mitchell to have won the Silverstone 500 twice, as he triumphed alongside Harper in their title-winning campaign.

However, the pair could still join the exclusive list on the 27 April when racing a BMW M4 GT3 Evo, run by Paradine Competition – a team that Leung founded last year.

“Truth be told, the new Evo isn’t a great deal different to the previous M4, with which I could, and probably should, have won the last two 500s,” said Leung, who also drives a United Autosports McLaren GT3 in the World Endurance Championship.

“I really love this race; the endurance element suits me, there are options to play with strategy, and Dan is always fast there. Plus, and unlike the full-season entries, there are no championship considerations: we intend to win, pure and simple.”

Harper has also increased his international presence since winning British GT, clinching the 2024 GTWCE Bronze Cup with Leung before contesting this year’s IMSA SportsCar Championship aboard a Paul Miller Racing BMW.

“I’m incredibly excited to be returning to the British GT Championship grid for the Silverstone 500,” said the BMW factory driver.

“It’s a busy year for me racing in North America and Europe, so to get the chance to fit in a ‘home’ race in British GT is fantastic.

“We have fond memories of winning the Silverstone 500 in 2023, it was a crucial moment for us on our way to winning the title.

“It was an honour to win such a prestigious race and we’d love to add our name to the winners’ trophy again this year.”

Silverstone will be the second round of the 2025 season after the Donington Park opener, which 2 Seas Mercedes pair Charles Dawson and Kiern Jewiss won from pole.