The Donington Park Circuit is one I’ve always enjoyed which is why I was excited to return for Round 2 of the Intelligent Money British GT Championship. The track has given me success in the past and I was confident we’d perform better this time around. The team were looking forward to a strong showing based on that from Oulton Park two weeks prior. Practicing got off to a shaky start as the team together spent a fair amount of time in the pits, meaning I was into the Qualifying with only limited time to work on the car and my driving skills however I was able to manage P3 which was impressive given the complications faced. My teammate Dean also completed an impressive lap and we together started 5th for Race 1 as Dean’s qualifying secured the grid for race 2, 12th on the grid for the 1-hr sprint race.
On Sunday it became a case of what could have been; a small fire during the warm up meant we were unable to begin the 2-hr race on time and by the time the car was fixed, we were more than 20 laps down on the lead. This didn’t stop me from giving it my all though, I quickly set fastest lap of the race and was lapping consistently quicker than leaders but was unable to improve on our overall position. Dean took over for the final 40 minutes, with a strong pace, keeping up with the leading cars but it was ultimately a massive shame to be denied the chance to fight for a good result in Race 1.
Race 2 brought mixed weather with a half wet, half dry track at the start. Dean made the bold call to start from the pitlane on slicks as opposed to our starting position on wets which turned out to be a good call due to the track drying. Unfortunately, Dean spun early into his stint and got stuck on the wet grass, which meant we were 4 laps off the lead by the time he was pushed back on the track. Dean maintained a respectable speed whilst he continued to lap. My stint began really strong, but this was paused by the rain, with my average being 2/3 seconds quicker than competitors I was still unable to gain any positions in my stint as the damage was already done. I brought the car home safely meaning a disappointing weekend for the team but it being at a close.
It was definitely a bitter pill to swallow when you think of how differently things could’ve gone but as a team I know we’ll learn more from this weekend than any others and we’ll be fighting for wins and podiums at Brands Hatch in two weeks’ time. Personally, I’m confident my driving was of my best all weekend and I’ll be sure to set the records straight next time!
As always, a massive thank you to all my incredible sponsors, especially my main sponsors Cambridge & Counties Bank. Their support and guidance is so important to me in following my dream of racing at the very top level of the sport and thank you to all of my supporters and fans who spur me on to keep improving myself. We’ll get that win soon.
