By Brandon Jacobs

Round 4 of the Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa GR Cup took us to Aldo Scribante Raceway in Gqeberha for what proved to be my strongest race weekend of the 2026 GR Cup season so far. Not only did it mark my second race weekend in the shared #4 GR Corolla with Khulekani on Wheels and Kumbi-M on Cars, but it also represented the halfway point of the championship.

After a frustrating Round 3 at Zwartkops, where mistakes prevented us from converting our pace into the points we knew were possible, this weekend carried extra importance. We came into Aldo Scribante sitting fourth in the championship, knowing we needed a strong result to stay in contention.

By the end of the weekend, two third-place finishes had moved us into third overall in the championship.

Practice

Before the weekend got underway, all GR Cup Media competitors received new front Dunlop tyres and fresh front brake pads, while the rear tyres remained the same. That immediately changed the balance of the car, with the fresh front tyres and older rear tyres making the GR Corolla easier to rotate.

Heavy rain on Thursday meant Friday morning’s first practice session took place on a soaked circuit. It was my first experience driving Aldo Scribante Raceway and my first time racing in wet conditions, so the opening laps were all about building confidence while learning both the circuit and how the GR Corolla behaved in the slippery conditions.

Because qualifying was scheduled for the same time the following morning, I also wanted to prepare in case the wet weather continued, gradually increasing my pace as I became more comfortable.

As the day progressed, the circuit dried quickly. The second practice session, despite still having a few damp patches, produced my fastest lap of the weekend and confirmed that the preparation was heading in the right direction. In the final session, I shifted my focus away from outright speed and instead worked on producing consistent lap times over a race distance while minimising tyre wear.

Qualifying

Saturday morning greeted us with a cool, dry track, but Aldo Scribante is notoriously abrasive on tyres, meaning tyre management would play a huge role throughout both races.

One of the biggest lessons I took away from my first GR Cup outing at Killarney was understanding how the GR Corolla rewards smooth, measured driving. If you rely too heavily on the GR-FOUR system, rear differential temperatures begin to rise, eventually reducing rear drive to protect the drivetrain. Continue pushing beyond that point, and the car can enter a protection mode that significantly affects performance.

With that experience behind me, I approached Aldo Scribante differently. Rather than chasing every tenth in the opening laps, I focused on preserving the tyres, managing the drivetrain, and driving the car the way it was designed to be driven. It required patience early in the race, but the goal was always to have enough performance left to attack in the closing laps.

Qualifying didn’t quite go according to plan. My best lap of 1:13.160 placed me fourth in the Media Challenge, behind Taye Mbiri in the #5 AutoTrader GR Corolla, and seventh overall on the grid behind Johan Boonzaier (Waterberg Toyota) and Marius Claassen (Rola Toyota).

Although I would have preferred to start higher up the order, I knew our race pace would be stronger than our qualifying result suggested.

Race 1

Our first eight-lap race got underway with a rolling start and, unlike previous rounds, there were no yellow flags into Turn 1. That presented an opportunity to challenge the dealership-entered cars immediately, but despite getting a good launch, I couldn’t quite complete the move. Instead, I settled into the race and stuck to the strategy.

As the laps unfolded, the benefits of preserving both the tyres and the drivetrain began to show. While others started to fade, I still had confidence in the car beneath me.

The decisive moment came on Lap 6. Exiting the final corner onto the main straight, a tightly contested battle unfolded between Johan Boonzaier, Marius Claassen, Taye Mbiri, and myself. Taking advantage of the run onto the straight, I moved into third place and held the position to the chequered flag.

It was my best finish of the season to date and confirmation that the preparation and race strategy had worked as planned.

Race 2

Starting fourth once again meant another difficult race lay ahead, with three dealership drivers standing between me and a third-place finish.

This time, I made a stronger start, moving ahead of one of the dealership-entered GR Yaris models before Turn 1, while Theo Britz also managed to get ahead of Taye.

That left me tucked in behind Johan Boonzaier as another intense battle developed. Several cars ran wide throughout the race as tyre wear became a factor, but our group remained locked together lap after lap.

Once again, everything came down to Lap 6.

Using the drive out of the final corner, I managed to overtake both Boonzaier and Taye to claim third place for the second race in succession. From there, it was simply about remaining composed, looking after the car, and bringing it home.

Crossing the finish line in third secured my second consecutive podium finish of the weekend, my first official GR Cup podium, and an important haul of championship points.

Looking ahead

Aldo Scribante was more than just a successful weekend; it was proof that the lessons learned over the opening rounds of the championship are starting to come together.

From understanding how the GR Corolla wants to be driven to managing the tyres and drivetrain over a race distance, the difference wasn’t outright speed but knowing when to push and when to be patient. Two podium finishes and a move into third place in the championship made this my strongest GR Cup weekend yet.

With three rounds remaining, there’s still plenty of racing ahead, but the championship fight is well and truly alive, and I’m looking forward to building on this momentum heading into Round 5 next month.