How it was ‘them against us’ for the British GT Championship’s title-winning rookie duo

So there it was. The scene much of the paddock had been expecting ever since the 2025 British GT opener at Donington Park. Smiles and a sense of relief from Charles Dawson and Kiern Jewiss, as the 2 Seas Motorsport pair were crowned overall series champions for the first time. 

They certainly didn’t have it easy, despite leading the championship since the first round, for that was the weekend the political side of this title campaign kicked in. You see, Jewiss is ranked silver in the FIA gradings and Dawson is a bronze, and Silver-Am pairings don’t often challenge for wins against crews that boast a professional driver with a gold or platinum status.

Yet the 2 Seas pair dominated the Donington opener from pole, which included Dawson topping the amateur qualifying session by seven tenths. Many thus claimed he should have a silver licence, but it was too late to change, so for round two the #42 Mercedes was given an extra 30kg of ballast for exceeding expectations.

“That rocked us,” says Dawson, amid the feeling of ‘them against us’, and the pair initially struggled next time out at Silverstone, qualifying only seventh. Although Dawson/Jewiss eventually walked away with a maximum total that weekend, due to the winner being a non-point-scoring entry, there was a lot of luck involved. 

The unpredictable, three-hour Silverstone 500 is often decided by who nails the right strategy and, on that occasion, it was the 2 Seas duo. The extra ballast was then reduced to 25kg from round three onwards, and the pair got on with it, rode every storm, and two additional wins resulted in their crowning moment at the finale. 

“So much work and so much effort went into this programme,” says Jewiss. “So to come out on top, we did deserve it. We’ve had everything thrown at us, we’ve jumped every hurdle this year and it’s very nice to go out winning the title.”

It may seem mighty impressive given they were both British GT3 rookies, but Dawson and Jewiss had faced similar situations before. Jewiss, 23, was a big name on the national scene growing up, clinching the British Formula 4 and Porsche Carrera Cup GB titles, and it was only a sabbatical in 2024 that led to him being a silver.

Dawson, 34, meanwhile, won the British GT4 Pro-Am crown last year, so the pair were well rehearsed in running a successful campaign. There was a feeling that 2025 would be their only chance to win the title together, but the provisional FIA gradings for 2026 show Jewiss bumping up to a gold, while Dawson – perhaps surprisingly on the face of it – remains a bronze.

Jewiss and Dawson displayed resilience and depth of character in their pursuit of the title

Photo by: JEP

Much of that is down to his debut outings in GT World Challenge though, as he has generally found it tougher against sterner opposition. Regardless, it does seem that GT racing has found a new star bronze, who has all the potential to reach the top. 

One only needed to look two garages down at Donington to see Darren Leung. He claimed the 2023 British GT crown in his full rookie year and has since taken a class title in GT World Challenge, a class podium at Le Mans and LMGT3 victories in the World Endurance Championship.

“Same approach we’ve taken this year: corner by corner, session by session,” says Dawson, when Leung’s journey was put to him. “We’ll sit down and work out what the plans are. But we’re not thinking too far ahead.

“Ultimately, I would like to continue as a bronze and have success, of course, but in what series and what we do is TBC.”

So what’s next is unknown, maybe the pair will defend their British GT crown, but this year has shown the true potential of Dawson and Jewiss

Quite a boring answer, but it is evidence of a level-headed nature that has served the pair well this year and the reply also leaves a lot of possibilities. Dawson loves racing in Britain, but he’s also fascinated by what’s on the continent. 

“We’re certainly talking about next year,” says 2 Seas boss Tom Hodgson. “We don’t have anything signed yet, but we’re looking at options. We have to remember the field we’ve been racing in, in British GT, and look at his pace, perhaps in the Europe side, where the bronze field has a little bit more depth to it. But for sure, he’s a strong bronze and great to have him.”

So what’s next is unknown, maybe the pair will defend their British GT crown, but this year has shown the true potential of Dawson and Jewiss. Key to this championship was their resilience, and the immense character both displayed suggests they will be a success in whatever they decide.

This article is one of many in the monthly Autosport magazine. For more premium content, take a look at the November 2025 issue and subscribe today. 

2 Seas crew cheer the #42 Mercedes across the line at the Donington Park finale