Jacob Tofts left Donington Park, host of the opening rounds of the 2026 Porsche Carwow Carrera Cup GB season, with a Pro-Am class trophy and the belief that there is plenty more to come this year.

Making his debut in the championship, the 22-year-old showed strong pace from the outset, posting competitive times in Thursday’s two free practice sessions to lay the foundations for a promising weekend.
However, qualifying on Saturday lunchtime did not go entirely to plan, with a persistent car issue limiting progress. After an encouraging first run that placed him second in class, the Hertfordshire driver looked to improve on his second attempt, but with the car not performing as it should, he had to settle for third on the Pro-Am grid.

Following further investigation by the Graves Motorsport team, the issue was traced to the differential on the new car and was rectified in time for race one. Unfortunately, more work was soon required for the team after first-lap contact forced Tofts into retirement and left the car with extensive damage.

Starting the second race from the back of the class, Jacob was finally able to demonstrate his true pace, delivering a strong recovery drive and taking every opportunity to gain positions. While pole-sitter Ollie Jackson was too far ahead to challenge, second place and a visit to the Pro-Am podium provided deserved reward after a difficult weekend.

Having been encouraged by his overall performance, Tofts has already shown what he is capable of, even if the final results did not fully reflect his speed. That leaves plenty of optimism heading into the next rounds at Brands Hatch on 9th and 10th May, where he will be aiming for more silverware and a place on the top step of the podium.

“We ended the first qualifying run quickest in class, so I was pleased with that. We then had a small issue that had been building throughout the weekend, and it was at its worst for the second run. Unfortunately, I didn’t improve enough and ended up third. I was disappointed with that because I knew there was more time available and I didn’t maximise it.

“Race one didn’t go to plan. The aim was to get a race under my belt and finish my first Carrera Cup event. I made a very good start, but I was boxed in going into turn one and lost a position there. Then, heading into McLean’s, I was hit by a car that was off track, which ended my race early.

“I was happy with how race two went. Starting from the back, I think second in class was the best we could achieve, with Ollie taking reverse-grid pole. The car felt really good, and I have to thank Graves Motorsport for working so hard between the races to get it repaired. There was quite a bit of damage to fix, and they really put in a shift this weekend across all the cars to give us the best opportunity, so I’m very grateful to them.

“Overall, I was disappointed with qualifying and race one, but looking at what we achieved in race two, I think the pace was very strong. Once I got into clear air near the end, I was actually one of the top three quickest cars on track. I’m very happy with the pace, and I felt like I was improving every lap with my confidence continuing to build.”