Brooklands Technical College Racing (BTCR) is entering its sophomore season in the Student Motorsport (SMo) Competition with a singular focus: the podium. After a debut year defined by a steep learning curve and a strong 5th-place finish in class at the Silverstone finale, the Surrey-based squad is transforming its operations for Competition success in 2026.
The team, led by Marios Katzis, made its debut at Oulton Park last season and, after a DNF in its first ever race, went on to finish every round for the rest of the season. Driver Junior Gravina-Read drove the team’s #2 Citroen C1 to its best finish in class at Silverstone in October and finished the year 9th in the SMo Competition class and 4th in the CityCar Cup novice standings.
The team expanded to two cars when Carter Steel joined the squad for the Silverstone rounds in August and drove the sister #210 Citroen to best-in-class finish of 5th in only his second race for the team.
For 2026, BTCR has refreshed its driver line-up and welcomes Luke Power and George Antoniou to the sqaud. Team Principal Marios Katzis spoke to a number of drivers about the available seats, some of whom had immediate race-winning potential but he left the choice for one of the seats to the students.
The Power of Choice: Students Vote for their Driver
“There were some seasoned professionals amongst the drivers that would have guaranteed us a podium but I put it to the team and explained that, within the options we had, Luke, who had only started last year, wanted to learn and develop himself as well as help develop the team,” explained Marios. “I asked the students to discuss it, have a vote and come back to me when they had decided. All of them said they wanted Luke because they want to learn and develop with a like-minded driver.”
A Full-Circle Return: McLaren Manager Joins the Grid
Teammate George Antoniou is returning to the college at which he studied at over 20 years ago, to start his racing career. A mechanical engineer who specialises in transmission and driveline systems, George spent eight years working at multiple WRC champions M-Sport Ltd where he became Head of Transmission Engineering before moving to McLaren Automotive Ltd at which he is currently Transmission and Driveline Manager.
Marios Katzis explained why George has chosen Brooklands Technical College and the Student Motorsport Challenge.
“George has always been a motorsport enthusiast but he’s never really had the chance to race,” said Marios. “He’s fully committed to the team and has been training extensively for the past four months. He’s taking the season very seriously.”
Going Pro: Upgraded Facilities and Merchandise
In addition to refreshing its driver line-up, BTCR has also used its 2025 experience to develop the team in other ways.
“We have our new awnings now so each car will have its own garage,” said Marios. “We’ve also got the use of our college van which we’re going to now use for motorsport and that will be our workshop where we’ll store all our tools, toolboxes and spares. We have also launched a range of merchandise that our fans can purchase, which includes t-shirts and gilets, all in our official racing colours.
“Last year was a huge learning curve for us but this year we’re going pro!”
With the Competition’s primary aim being to provide the next generation of motorsport professionals with real-world trackside industry experience, Marios and Brooklands Technical College have worked hard to ensure that opportunities for the students are maximised.
The Workforce: 120 Students Powering the Podium Push
“We’ll be bringing 18 students to each race weekend as well as up to five staff to support them” explained Marios. “I can hand-on-heart say that at least 120 students have been directly involved in preparing the race cars and the support vehicle.
“If we don’t get on the podium this year, I think it will be a real shame for the students and all their hard work. They’ve been coming in at weekends and working on the cars, along with myself, staff and driver George Antoniou. It’s now down to the drivers to do their bit and repay the students because they have worked non-stop.”
The 2026 Student Motorsport Competition, part of the BRSCC Nankang Tyre CityCar Cup Championship, gets underway at Brands Hatch on April 11th-12th.