It was a triumph for the Motorsport UK Academy as two of its alumni conquered treacherous conditions to win the Goodyear 4 Hours of Silverstone, the UK round of the 2026 European Le Mans Series.
Together with their Liechtenstein team-mate Matthias Kaiser, Britons Jake Hughes and Ben Barnicoat mastered a constantly changing damp, wet and dry track in their Algarve Pro Racing entry to become the fourth different overall ELMS winners of the season.
Their success provided another striking illustration of the depth of talent developed through the Motorsport UK Academy, which provides aspiring British competitors with elite coaching, physical training and psychological development before helping prepare them for careers at the highest levels of the sport.
Hughes was part of the Motorsport UK Academy’s Team UK programme, while Barnicoat is also a graduate of the national programme. Both have subsequently forged highly successful international careers across single-seaters and sportscar racing – and their shared experience proved invaluable during a challenging four-hour Silverstone endurance race.
Taking the second stint, Hughes had to contend with the worst of the weather as heavy rain transformed the Northamptonshire circuit into a slippery and unpredictable challenge, compounded by several Safety Car interventions.
“It was definitely about survival in the middle part of the race,” admitted Hughes whose victory was his first since switching to sportscars. “It was the first time I’ve driven the car in the wet in race conditions but I managed to navigate the traffic quite well and hand the car over to Ben in a good condition.”
A late call-up as a replacement driver, Barnicoat took over in third place before producing a stunning final stint. Relishing the conditions, he charged from third place into the lead with just 30 minutes remaining and brought the Algarve Pro Racing car home 18 seconds clear to secure a memorable victory.
“Firstly, a huge thank you to the team for the call-up last minute to join these two guys,” said Barnicoat on the podium. “We’ve had a really fun weekend first and foremost, which is a big part of endurance racing.
“I got in in P3 and the car was flying, maybe a bit of home advantage. I love the rain and was able to get to the lead and win the race. The car was just flying.
“I was making the most of the opportunity I had. It was a one-off but I think I’ve done a pretty good trial, so perhaps I’ll be back for the final round.”
The victory was particularly notable for Hughes, whose route to the international stage was far from conventional. He did not begin competitive karting until the relatively late age of 16, but his subsequent progress demonstrated the natural ability that ultimately took him through the Motorsport UK pathway and into professional racing.
He stepped up to single-seaters in 2013, winning the Formula 4 Championship, before progressing through Formula 3 and Formula 2. He subsequently competed in Formula E for McLaren, Maserati and Mahindra, while the 32-year-old from Birmingham continues to combine his role as a McLaren simulator driver with his ELMS race programme with Algarve Pro Racing.
Barnicoat followed a more traditional route to the top. Born and raised in Chesterfield, he began karting at nine and quickly established himself as one of Britain’s leading young talents, culminating in European Championship success in 2012.
He subsequently won titles in Formula Renault and Formula 4 before graduating to Formula 3. When it became clear that his Formula 1 ambitions were unlikely to be realised, Barnicoat successfully switched his focus to sportscar racing in 2017.
Since then, he has established himself as one of Britain’s leading endurance and GT racers, winning the IMSA SportsCar Championship with Lexus and his class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with AF Corse.
Their Silverstone success therefore represented more than just another ELMS victory. It was a powerful demonstration of the long-term impact of the Motorsport UK Academy, with two drivers who benefited from its development programmes combining their experience, preparation and racecraft to deliver victory on one of Britain’s most demanding circuits.
And with the FIA World Endurance Championship returning to Silverstone next April, their performance provided an especially timely reminder of the depth of British talent competing on the international endurance racing stage.