Title showdown set for UK Cup finale at Donington

From COTA to Barcelona and now Donington Park, three of Radical’s most coveted SR3 titles have come into sharp focus in recent weeks.

Jonas Axboe secured the North American Cup crown at COTA before Marcus Littlewood — himself a former UK Cup champion — sealed the Radical Cup Europe title in Barcelona. Last weekend’s World Finals then brought both champions onto the same grid as UK Cup title contenders Gordie Mutch and Cian Geraghty, creating a rare head-to-head between some of the world’s leading SR3 talent where Littelwood emerged the victor.

Of those three title fights, the UK Cup is the one still to be settled.

Fresh from second and third at the World Finals, Mutch arrives at Donington Park with a 27-point advantage over Valour Racing’s Geraghty. Two 50-minute races stand between the University of Derby driver and the 2026 title. Can he finish the job and secure Derby’s second successive championship?

Mutch has set the benchmark all season, winning four of the five UK races so far. His only defeat came at Brands Hatch, where a stall after the mandatory stop opened the door for Geraghty to win, with Mutch recovering to third.

Geraghty has ensured the title fight has never become a procession. Still in his first season of car racing, he stood on the podium in every race until Silverstone, where a late penalty dropped him from the lead to eighth. His ability to challenge immediately after graduating from karting shows exactly what Radical racing can offer: a serious proving ground for drivers developing racecraft, strategy and technical understanding.

North Motorsport’s Thomas Hodge has followed a similar path, taking second at Brands Hatch and third at Oulton Park in his first season of cars.

Scott Marshall and Ryan Lindsay have taken a different route, sharing the championship’s only team entry so far. Three top-10 finishes, including a classified third at Silverstone, have lifted them to fourth in the standings.

The Fangio Class brings another title fight to Donington, with 360 Competition’s Andy Lowe holding an 18-point advantage over RSR’s John Macleod. Both have also raced in Radical Europe and at last weekend’s World Finals, while Valour Racing’s Byron Crawford sits third in class and seventh overall after only beginning his racing career last year.

Further down the order, several drivers arrive with unfinished business. UWR’s Shane Kelly has shown front-running pace despite a season disrupted by issues, Matt Yard has built his campaign on consistency, Sam Venning has combined UK and European competition, and Brian Huang will be aiming to end an incident-hit year on a stronger note.

Laura O’Connell returns to the circuit where she made her Radical debut 12 months ago, having made clear gains in pace across the season.

There are new stories beginning too. Lena Galyo is due to share a second Valour Racing entry with Alicja Cyrek, while American teenager Gio Santori joins North Motorsport for his Radical debut after an international karting career, a Formula 4 scholarship in France and two Rookie Cup podiums in the UK MINI CHALLENGE.

That range of experience creates intrigue throughout the grid. Established Radical racers, developing drivers, university teams, shared entries and newcomers all competing within the same championship.

Donington will demand more than outright speed. Heavy braking zones, rapid direction changes and high-speed commitment will test the field, while traffic, tyre management and the mandatory pit stop add another layer of pressure. For Mutch and Geraghty, any one of those elements could swing the championship.

Qualifying begins on Saturday at 10:20, with race one starting at 15:55. The final race of the 2026 Finecut Radical Cup UK gets underway at 13:45 on Sunday.

Follow on Radical UK's socials for updates throughout the weekend and live stream links.