Jessica Hawkins has been waiting for this weekend. As the British GT4 Championship reaches its conclusion at Brands Hatch, she reflects on being in a title race that's going down to the wire, and what it's meant to her to be given an opportunity to prove herself and then do exactly that.
While our team is in Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, there will also be keen eyes on events unfolding in a particular corner of Kent. The British GT4 championship will be decided at Brands Hatch, with four teams still in contention for the title.
Aston Martin Aramco Driver Ambassador and Head of F1 ACADEMY Jessica Hawkins has spent the entirety of this season at the sharp end driving an Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 alongside team-mate Will Orton for MK Racing, and now there's just one more round to go.
Regardless of result, however, she's already taking huge pride from her display this year. A year where she's delivered what she always thought she could.
If we absolutely extract everything out of the car, the championship will come to us.
The finale
Victory for any one of the four driver pairings in the title hunt would be enough to secure the championship. Jessica, however, isn't focused on what her competitors may do, and not interested in trying to control the uncontrollable.
"I'm feeling a range of emotions going into this weekend," she says.
"I'm sad that it's already the last race of the season. It's gone by in a flash, but that's testament to how much I've enjoyed this year.
"I think we're in a really good position heading into the last round. We were testing last week at Brands Hatch, and we were showing promising pace.
"Of course, you never know what your competitors are running on a test day, but it was a good indication that we're going to be in for a strong weekend, so I'm really excited. I'm feeling really positive.
"Obviously, we'll need a bit of luck as well. It's the last race of the season, everyone will be pushing hard, and we'll have to get lots of strategy calls right, but certainly in terms of pace, I think we're in a really strong position.
"My main focus is not worrying about what anybody else is doing, but making sure that we maximise our weekend. I think if we absolutely extract everything out of the car, the championship will come to us. All you can do is control what you can control; the rest will take care of itself.
"We're just trying to take all the pressure out of the situation, do the best we can on the weekend, and that will leave us in a good spot.
"That's what's kept us in the championship fight. There have been weekends where we haven't quite had the pace, but we've had a good execution of strategy and optimised as well as we can, and that's kept us really competitive.
"I said at the start of the year that consistency was going to win the championship, and if there's something that we have been, it's consistent.
"It's no surprise to me that we're in with a shout."
The waiting game
The significance of this season goes beyond the current championship table. 2026 has allowed Jessica to show what she can do when things fall into place.
"I think I really needed a season like this, to be honest. The last few years have not really been what I wanted or needed them to be.
"But, with a little bit more organisation and time this year, we've put together a really good package, and it's nice to prove when everything comes together, I can deliver.
"I'm super thankful to those that have made it happen. Everyone at MK Racing and to Arm. Arm have backed me all the way. I genuinely wouldn't be in this position without their support. It's been great to repay their faith this year and prove what I've believed and said I could do.
"It would be brilliant to come away with the championship trophy and we'll put everything on the line to bring it home. But, even if we don't, I'm so proud of what we’ve achieved and how I’ve performed personally."
It's going to be unpredictable. Everything is up for grabs. It's very exciting.
Baku to Brands Hatch
At first glance, Jessica's weekend couldn't look more different to the rest of the team's. While she combats the fast, flowing, undulating curves of Brands Hatch, Lance and Fernando will take to the streets of Baku, with its stop-start sections, tight corners, and narrow, long straights.
Look a little closer, however, and this weekend there's a symmetry between the two, as Jessica explains.
"I've not driven around Baku, but it's something I'd like to try. In general, I really love street circuits. The stakes are higher, the margin for error is a lot smaller, and mistakes cost massively. You could quite easily say the same about our championship decider.
"I think it's a hidden gem, and with the Grand Prix on Saturday this year, fans can watch that and then head to Brands Hatch for my race on Sunday.
"I'd love people to come and watch. If they've never seen a GT race before, they're going to really enjoy it. The cars are really cool and the racing is really good.
"And because it's the last race of the season, and at a track as fast and challenging as Brands Hatch, it's going to be unpredictable. Everything is up for grabs. It's very exciting."
Exciting, certainly, but for Jessica, the final round isn't about trying to manufacture a dramatic ending to the story. It is about doing what she has done all season: focusing on her own performance, extracting everything from the car and seeing where that leaves her.
The opportunity she has waited for has arrived.
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It's 10 years since the Baku City Circuit first welcomed Formula One, for a Grand Prix that has gone from strength to strength in the intervening decade. Tap for your guide to the weekend.
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