Scots duo bag British GT4 podiumposted in GT30 | 04 | 2017
SCOTS DUO SANDY MITCHELL and Ciaran Haggerty scored their first podium of the year today when they finished second in the latest round of the British GT4 Championship.
The result came a fortnight after the McLaren GT Academy drivers were denied two victories in the opening double-header at Oulton Park, following a wheel-change problem and a pitlane infringement by the team.
Starting from fourth on the grid for the two-hour race at Rockingham in Northamptonshire, 20-year-old Haggerty, from Johnstone, soon eased his Black Bull Garage 59 McLaren 570S GT4 into the lead.
But as his stint continued, he was forced to resist intense pressure from the chasing #55 Ginetta driven by Will Tregurtha.
After the pitstops and driver change, Mitchell, the 17-year-old from Forfar, emerged in the lead in his McLaren but was eventually passed by the #55 Ginetta, driven by Northumberland’s Stuart Middleton for the second half of the race.
“We’re really pleased to get our first podium of the year,” Mitchell, who along with Haggerty won twice and bagged three pole positions last season, said today.
“After the difficulties of the opening race weekend, it was important we came back and delivered the result we know we’re capable of.
“Ciaran did a fantastic job through the opening stint. His start was amazing, and he did brilliantly to fend off the Ginetta which performed well on the Rockingham circuit.
“Of course we would have liked the win, but over the season there are circuits which suit some cars better than others," Mitchell, who also received the Sunoco Award for posting the fastest lap in a GT4 car, continued.
“I feel we maximised the potential of what we could achieve this weekend — the team did a fantastic job — and this result gives us the platform to go on and push for more wins as the season progresses.”
The team’s second car, driven by 16-year-old Dean Macdonald from Cowdenbeath, and 20-year-old Edinburgh-based Akhil Rabindra, finished fourth to record their best result of the season.
Today’s results mean Mitchell and Haggerty move up to fourth in the GT4 championship, with Macdonald and Rabindra fifth, just five points behind.
Related: Teenager Sandy Mitchell targets British GT4 title
Keep up-to-date with all the latest news by following us on twitter.com/Scotcars
Jim McGill