A historic weekend at Silverstone saw Abbie Eaton become the first female in championship history to qualify on pole position, and to take a race victory. Eaton, from Hull, was passed by eventual winner Charles Rainford from Tunbridge Wells in the weekend’s first wet race, but the former W Series star dominated in similar slippery conditions in Round 14 to secure a popular victory.

Eaton’s breakthrough result, which also saw her become the championship’s ninth different race winner in 2024, came on a milestone weekend. With 50 cars entered, Porsche Motorsport GB celebrated its largest combined Carrera Cup GB and Sprint Challenge GB grids at Silverstone. George Gamble, from Nottingham, took the lead of the overall championship for the first time this season, sending the title fight down to the wire at the Brands Hatch finale.

Rainford wins as Gamble takes championship lead in Pro

Saturday afternoon’s qualifying session took place in dry conditions. With Abbie Eaton (Rebelleo Motorsport) ahead, Hugo Ellis (Team Parker Racing) was the highest placed Pro driver on the grid. Eaton led at the start of Round 13, which was conducted in wet weather conditions, while Ellis slotted in behind with Charles Rainford (Cognition Land & Water with CCK Motorsport) in third. On the second lap, Rainford moved ahead of Ellis as several drivers struggled with increasingly slippery conditions.

On lap six, Stephen Jelley (Parker Classic Works) dropped down the order, igniting a battle with George Gamble (Rosland Gold by Century Motorsport). However, on lap nine, attention turned to Eaton as she ran wide, handing the overall race lead to Rainford, with Gamble now a close third. On lap 11, Ellis and William Burns (Rosland Gold By Century Motorsport) made contact at Luffield, but Burns rejoined the race further down the order. Ellis soon lost out to Will Martin (Eden Race Drive) in a new scrap for fourth. Meanwhile, Gamble and Martin closed on Eaton for second place but the order remained the same, with Rainford taking his second win of the season.

Mixed weather conditions at the start of the weekend’s second race resulted in some drivers opting for grooved wet-weather Michelin tyres, while the rest of the grid chose slick racing tyres. Pro-Am category reverse grid pole-sitter Angus Whiteside (Century Motorsport) was slow away, and Eaton led though the first corner. As the highest placed Pro, Gamble slotted into second with Daniel Lloyd (Toro Verde GT) up to third. Martin and Rainford – both running slicks – fell backwards. On lap six Jelley was the first of the slick shod drivers to make a pit stop, switching to wets as the rain intensified.

At the midpoint of the race Gamble found enough speed to close on leader, Eaton, however, the Pro-Am racer responded, pulling clear. In the closing stages of the race Burns looked for a route by Porsche Carrera Cup GB 2024 / 2025 Junior, James Wallis (JTR), in a dice for fifth, but the order would remain static to the flag. Eaton enjoyed her historic win, Gamble finished the race as the top Pro category driver, taking the lead of the championship for the first time this season. Meanwhile, Lloyd secured his first podium result of the year, and with his results, Matthew Rees (Team Parker Racing) was crowned provisional Rookie champion for 2024.

Eaton makes championship history in Pro-Am

Eaton set a number of quick lap times in Saturday’s qualifying session to become the first female to qualify on pole position in championship history. At the start of the weekend’s first race, Eaton maintained her advantage, with Whiteside was second in the Pro-Am category order and Will Aspin (Eden Race Drive) in third. When Eaton ran wide from the overall race lead she retained the Pro-Am category advantage. Later into the race, Whiteside enjoyed a battle with Pro category racers Ellis and Martin. Meanwhile, Aspin was sandwiched between Pro drivers Jelley and Harry Foster (Eden Race Drive) in a race for tenth overall.

On lap 19, Aspin left the circuit at Copse before continuing his race, allowing Ollie Jackson (JTR) to move into the final podium spot. In the final laps of the race, Whiteside and Pro driver Gamble swapped places through the Brooklands and Luffield turns, with Whiteside emerging ahead. The first Pro-Am category podium of the weekend was formed by Eaton, Whiteside and Jackson.

In the second encounter at Silverstone, Eaton was on a mission for redemption. She raced into the overall lead at the first corner, holding Pro category drivers at bay throughout the race. Whiteside initially headed returnee Karl Leonard (Toro Verde GT), but when the rain began to fall again, attentions turned to an exciting Pro-Am battle between Aspin, Jackson and Rookie Sid Smith (Parker Classic Works) for sixteenth – Aspin would end up ahead. Following her appearance on the overall podium, Eaton was joined on the Pro-Am category steps by Whiteside and Leonard.

Davis and Paul are new winners in Am

Porsche Sprint Challenge GB graduate Callum Davis (CCK Motorsport) took a maiden Am category pole position in qualifying. Newcomer Davis slipped backwards in wet conditions in Round 13, with Lee Mowle (Team Parker Racing), Richard Hosking (Cognition Land & Water with CCK Motorsport) and William Paul (Team Parker Racing) racing ahead. However, Davis mustered a recovery, and at the midpoint of the race he was up to second. On lap 13, he passed Mowle for the Am lead and he didn’t look back, taking to the top step of the podium on his debut alongside Mowle and Paul.

In the weekend’s second race Hosking was initially ahead, taking advantage of his grooved wet-weather tyres to lead rivals Paul and Mowle. However, the order was quickly altered as Paul went ahead to ran as high as ninth overall. This relegated Hoskings to second with Davis – recovering from a spin on the formation lap – in third. On lap 14 Davis pitted to change tyres before rejoining the race, making the new order Paul from Hoskings and Mowle. Paul took the flag for his first Am category win of the season.

Championship battles will go down to the wire at the Brands Hatch finale on the weekend of 5-6 October. There, Porsche Carrera Cup GB is joined by Sprint Challenge GB for a busy weekend of racing. Follow the latest Carrera Cup GB news directly from Porsche Motorsport via Instagram – @PorscheRaces_GB – where users can share experiences via the hashtag #CarreraCupGB.