Interview with our founder George Antoniou: The Return to Brooklands & Racing

Driver: George Antoniou

Team: BTC Racing / Forward Sim Racing

Championship: BRSCC CityCar Cup / Student Motorsport

Vehicle: Peugeot 107

Pre-Season Testing at Snetterton 300 Circuit

The Partnership & The Journey

Question: Starting a racing career with BTC Racing must be very exciting. How did this seat come about, and what are the main expectations the team has for you as you move into the Student Motorsport Challenge?

Answer: It’s a bit of a homecoming for me. I was actually a student at Brooklands Technical College twenty years ago, so joining BTC Racing feels like things have come full circle. I didn’t have the resources or the opportunity to get into a cockpit when I was younger, but the drive never went away. Now, I’m in a position to create that opportunity for myself. Being part of the Student Motorsport Challenge specifically allows me to give back to the environment I started in, while finally getting my own racing career off the ground.

Handling the Machine

Question: The Peugeot 107 is known for being a "momentum car." Since the technical regulations are so tight, you can't rely on horsepower to fix a mistake. How have you been preparing to find those extra tenths of a second?

Answer: Correct! The 107 is all about momentum and balance. While I’m new to the physical grid, I’m leaning heavily on years of sim racing to bridge the gap. Sim racing teaches you the discipline of lines, weight transfer, and race craft in a high-pressure environment. It’s given me a clear roadmap of the prep work required; I know exactly where my technical knowledge ends and where I need to develop to ensure I become competitive.

The Student Element

Question: In this series, your car is maintained and prepped by students learning the trade. How do you plan to communicate feedback to the crew during a race weekend?

Answer: I have a unique perspective here because I’ve been in their shoes at Brooklands. My goal is to be a steady hand for the students. Because I’ve spent so much time analyzing data and car behavior both in the sim but also in my day job and an engineer, I can provide very specific feedback to the student engineers. We’re learning together, they’re honing their mechanical skills on a live race car, and I’m translating my virtual experience into real-world lap times. It’s a collaborative development process.

Progression & Goals

Question: The CityCar Cup grids are notoriously crowded and the racing is tight. Beyond just the finishing position, what are the specific personal benchmarks you’re looking to tick off during your first season?

Answer: Success this season isn't necessarily about a trophy in the early stages of the season, it’s about consistency and closing the gap. I have a very realistic view of the learning curve. My benchmark is how quickly I can adapt my sim habits to the physical g-forces and track conditions of the CityCar Cup. These cars have their quirks and can be tricky to drive fast and consistently. If I can show steady improvement in my sector times and maintain clean, competitive racing in those crowded grids, I’ll consider this a successful start to my racing career.